New chief nurse takes up post at Surrey and Sussex

Latest trust board papers note that Susan Aitkenhead started work at the trust on 10 January.

“Susan brings with her a raft of experience in caring for patients and I know she is looking forward to joining our great team of nurses and helping us further improve our patients’ experience,” the board was told.

Ms Aitkenhead has previously been associate director for nursing at Imperial College Healthcare Trust in London and has also recently worked as executive director of nursing and midwifery in Australia.

In a statement, she said: “One of the first things I am doing is to establish a SASH nursing and midwifery strategy to clearly demonstrate the positive difference we make to patient outcomes, experience and care. This will sit alongside our trust aims and objectives and values.”

She added: “There is a determination here within the executive team to empower clinical staff in decision making and transparency in all that we do, which made this role very attractive to me when I applied for it; and I continue to see this being driven forward on a daily basis.”