Essex success regime chair appointed

Dr Donley is a consultant physician in acute medicine at Plymouth Hospitals Trust, with an interest in care for older people.

She will take over in April from interim chair Sir David Fish, the managing director of UCLPartners.

Sir David took up the temporary role last November after the first attempt to find a permanent leader for the Essex success regime was unsuccessful.

Dr Donley also chairs the Royal College of Physicians’ Future Hospitals programme.

The success regime was launched as the service’s flagship programme to turn around areas with serious care quality, performance and financial challenges.

Speaking on behalf of Monitor, NHS England and the NHS Trust Development Authority, Andrew Pike, director of operational commissioning at NHS England’s Eastern regional team, said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr Donley with her vast clinical and leadership experience.

“While she is a national expert on health service transformation, she is also a local clinician who cares for patients and works closely with a range of health and social care staff. Anita’s insight will be a great benefit to the work in mid and south Essex.”

Dr Donley said: “I am really looking forward to joining everyone in mid and south Essex to improve NHS services.

“All over the NHS, we face increasing demand for healthcare, but we need to create the right local solutions based on the expertise and knowledge of local people, communities, healthcare professionals and organisations.

“At the same time, we have the opportunity to draw on experience and best practice of what works well elsewhere and see what we can adapt to develop high quality, safe and sustainable NHS services in Essex.”