New chief executive for London trust

Sarah Tedford is moving from Manchester to west London where she will take up the post of chief executive of Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Derek Smith, a health care consultant and frequent interim chief executive, will fill in at Hillingdon until Ms Tedford moves into her new role in November. She currently runs Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of Manchester University FT.

The Hillingdon job opened up in early September when Shane DeGaris moved across London to Barts Health Trust, where he is deputy chief executive. He ran Hillingdon for six years.

Tedford has previously worked for six months on secondment at NHS England and NHS Improvement. She was winter director for London at NHS Improvement, where she monitored accident and emergency waiting times at London trusts.

Past board experience includes time as deputy chief executive at Kingston Hospital FT and as chief operating officer at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust.

The trust’s chair, Richard Sumray, said the board was “delighted” with the appointment and “pleased to have secured someone of her calibre for the role.”

He added: “Her extensive knowledge of the NHS and depth of experience will be invaluable in helping to steer the trust through the challenging times ahead.”

Ms Tedford said she was “excited about leading the organisation’s passionate and motivated teams in continuing to improve health services for local people.”

She added: “I’m also greatly looking forward to working with colleagues across the wider healthcare system to help shape future health and care services for the borough of Hillingdon.”