The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) are delighted to announce the appointment of Dame Shan Morgan as Chair.
Dame Shan will take up her role on 1 April 2022. The two organisations are proposing to merge on this date to combine their resources and expertise to improve the resilience and sustainability of health services across North and East Devon.
Dame Shan will take on the role for an initial term of office of three years and succeeds current Chairman James Brent, who comes to the end of his term of office on 31 March 2022. Dame Shan was appointed following a robust recruitment process, with an appointment panel made up of stakeholders representing both organisations.
In the event that the RD&E and NDHT are not given approval to merge, Dame Shan will take over as Joint Chair of both separate organisations.
Dame Shan Morgan said:
“I am very proud to be appointed to this important role at such a decisive moment in the history of the two Trusts.
“I am extremely fortunate to be succeeding James Brent who has been an outstanding Chairman over the past ten years.
“I am committed to making the very best contribution I can in this role and look forward to working in partnership with the Council of Governors, the Board of Directors, NHS and local authority colleagues, patient representatives and others with an interest in health and care services in the region.
“The South West is my home – it is a privilege to have the opportunity to contribute to the health and wellbeing of the people of Devon.”
Dame Shan has a wealth of experience from her career working in a variety of roles for the Foreign Office. She has held roles as HM Ambassador to Argentina and Paraguay, and has represented the UK in the European Union. In her previous role, Dame Shan was head of the Civil Service of the Welsh Government and led over 5,500 staff with responsibility for a budget of £17billion.
Dame Shan was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2012 New Year Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in the 2017 Birthday Honours.
Peta Foxall, Lead Governor at the RD&E and chair of the Nominations Committee for this role, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Dame Shan to the Trust. Her passion for public service and diversity of experience will be essential as we enter into this significant period and I look forward to personally working with her in 2022.
“The Council of Governors also want to thank James Brent for the amazing contribution he has made as Chairman – and for his flexibility in agreeing to extend his term to provide stability as we faced the first wave of the pandemic.”
Suzanne Tracey, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are really looking forward to welcoming Dame Shan back to the South West. She is joining us at such an important and exciting time for our organisations, and her expertise will be invaluable as we seek to develop our future direction and make a real difference for our communities and staff.”