Finance chief seconded from NHSE to lead two trusts

Nik Khashu will lead both Warrington and Halton Hospitals Foundation Trust and Bridgewater Community Healthcare FT starting in November.

He will join WHHFT on an interim two-year basis on a secondment from NHS England’s North West regional team, where he has served as finance director since April 2022.

Mr Khashu had also been working in NHSE’s national team as deputy chief finance officer. He will remain formally employed by the regional team during his secondment to WHHFT.

Before joining the regional team, he held senior finance roles at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals Trust.

The appointment comes as the two trusts continue to discuss integration opportunities that could lead to an eventual merger.

BCHFT is one of the smallest trusts in the country, operating with a £97m annual turnover and employing around 1,400 staff. Colin Scales stepped down as BCHFT chief earlier this year to join the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board.

The shared leadership arrangement is also the latest in a string of similar moves across Cheshire and Merseyside within the past year.

Two Wirral trusts have agreed to appoint a joint chair and chief executive after reviewing “collaboration and integration” opportunities across the patch, while two Liverpool providers are coming together as a “group”.

Several long-serving leaders — including Ann Marr, Joe Rafferty, Louise Shepherd, and Liz Bishop — have also announced their departures, either due to retirement or taking on new roles.

Following the appointment to the Bridgewater role, Mr Khashu said: “It is a great privilege to have been appointed joint chief executive of BCH and WHH.

“Both organisations provide excellent care to the many thousands of people across Warrington, Halton and beyond. They share a joint commitment and ambition to further progress health and care services within home, community and hospital settings.

“It is my ambition for us to continue improving these services and provide better care together for our patients and families.”

BCHFT chair Karen Bliss said: “Nik’s appointment as joint chief executive of our two organisations underlines our shared ambition to improve services within the communities we proudly serve.

“This is an excellent appointment and one we are delighted to now formally confirm.”

UPDATED: Monday, 21 October. Updated to clarify Mr Khashu’s start date