Dr Owen Williams OBE has today (Thursday 22nd July) announced that he will be leaving Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), after serving nine years as Chief Executive.
He is due to take up his new post this Autumn as the Chief Executive of The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group which provides services across Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, serving hospital and community healthcare in Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale.
In his time as Chief Executive at CHFT, Owen has worked closely with colleagues and partners to build a legacy of outstanding compassionate care and enhanced services for our populations in Calderdale and Huddersfield and West Yorkshire for generations to come.
In the 2020 New Year’s Honours list he was awarded an OBE for service to health care across West Yorkshire and was asked to lead a national piece of work across the NHS with regards to health inequalities, chairing the National Health Inequalities Expert Advisory Group.
He also holds advisory roles with NHSX in terms of its digital planning for the future and the National GIRFT programme which has had a focus on continuous improvement of care for patients.
When Owen departs the Trust in a few months’ time, Ellen Armistead who is currently our Executive Nurse Director / Deputy Chief Executive will take over as our Interim Chief Executive until a permanent appointment is made by the board.
Commenting on his departure, Dr Owen Williams OBE said: “It has been a huge privilege to have led Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust since 2012. I have so many fond memories and so many reasons to be proud of the many achievements we have made together during my time here from our pioneering work on digital healthcare through to our more recent work in tackling health inequalities across our local communities.
I know CHFT will go to on achieve so much more in the years ahead, because I leave behind friends and colleagues who have shown astounding levels of resilience during the pandemic, always striving to deliver compassionate care to our patients under the most challenging of conditions. It is this fighting spirit and sense of hope, despite adversity, that I will miss the most as I journey towards the other side of the Pennines”.
Reacting to the news, Trust Chair, Philip Lewer said:“I want to congratulate Owen on his new role and say a big thank you from all of the Board, colleagues at CHFT and the communities we serve for your leadership whilst at CHFT.
“I am very proud of what you have achieved over the last 9 years and I know that you will be very much missed by all”.
