New joint boss confirmed at two hospital trusts

A new chief executive has been confirmed at two Surrey hospitals which have taken on a group model of working.

Louise Stead, who has been chief executive officer at the Royal Surrey since 2018, will now head up the hospital's collaboration with Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The boards of the two hospital trusts confirmed they would form a group in October, stating they were "natural partners" but would remain separate organisations.

Between them they serve nearly a million people, and a spokesperson said they had "complementary services and expertise".

Ms Stead said: "I am delighted to be taking on the role of group chief executive officer at this pivotal moment in both trusts' history as we embark on this exciting collaboration.

"I am committed to enhancing our collective strengths and successes."

Adding that her appointment was "just the start" of the journey, Ms Stead said the trusts would set a longer-term vision of what success looked like for the group model together.

Karen McDowell, chief executive officer for the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System and Integrated Care Board, said: "This group model is a big step forward in enabling greater collaboration between services across the two trusts to benefit patients."

In 2016, a proposed merger of the two hospitals did not go ahead due to financial concerns and "significant" pressures on the NHS.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.