Trust appoints permanent chief executive after two year wait

Silas Nicholls, previously the boss of University Hospital of South Manchester Foundation Trust, has been announced as the new chief executive of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust.

The trust has had four interim chief executives since August 2015, when the previous substantive leader, Jonathan Parry, was excluded from work. He was sacked for gross misconduct in October 2016.

The trust said the substantive post was not previously advertised.

There have also been other board level changes in the last two years including the exclusion of executive medical director Rob Gillies in August.

The trust’s future as an independent organisation has been unclear. Its turnover is less than £200m and it has planned a deficit of £18m in 2017-18. After six months of the year, it was £6m behind its financial plan.

It is also subject to a major review of services as part of the Cheshire and Merseyside sustainability and transformation plan.

Mr Nicholls will succeed Karen Jackson, who has been interim chief executive since April, early next year.

He is a former operations and performance director at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre FT and deputy chief executive and strategy director at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh FT.

He joined UHSM in December 2014 as chief operating officer, before becoming chief executive for the 12 months before it merged with Central Manchester University Hospitals Trust, to create Manchester University FT.

SOHT chair Richard Fraser said: “I am delighted to welcome Silas to the trust. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a strong track record of achievement.

“I also want to thank Karen Jackson for her huge contribution this year. With the support of our staff and stakeholders, she has helped lay substantial foundations on which to build local hospital services for the future.”