Eminent clinician joins NSFT trust board | News and events

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), the specialist mental health and learning disability services provider for Norfolk and Suffolk, has today announced the appointment of a new non-executive director, Dr Roger Hall OBE, to its board.

Dr Hall, who was made an OBE in 2021 in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the NHS, particularly during the covid pandemic, is a highly respected consultant cardiothoracic anaesthetist and intensivist. He has significant experience in clinical practice and clinical leadership, with a career that spans work in New Zealand and Australia as well as in the UK. Most recently he was Medical Director for the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, from 2015 until he retired from that post in April of this year.

Welcoming his appointment, Zoë Billingham, Chair of NSFT, said: “I am delighted that Dr Hall will be joining the Trust as we embark on the second phase of our improvement programme. This includes strengthening and broadening the Trust’s leadership capacity at every level, including on the Trust board. Dr Hall, with his clinical perspective and deep understanding, knowledge of, and commitment to, the NHS, will bring a valuable contribution to the board’s discussion and decision-making.

“Dr Hall is joining the NSFT team as we renew our focus on making sustainable improvements for the long-term in safety, quality and patient and staff experience across all the mental health and learning disability services we deliver for people in Norfolk and Suffolk.”

Dr Hall said: “I am very pleased to be offered this opportunity. As a non-executive director, I will be taking a particular interest in how the Trust can best support and enable clinicians and front-line teams to be effective and give good quality, timely treatment to those who need it.

“We need to make sure there are no barriers to getting people the right care, even if this means doing things differently. While this may not always be easy, I believe we must work hard to make sure we always focus on those who need us as our first priority.”

Howard Tidman, Chair of the Council of Governors, said: “On behalf of the governors we look forward to welcoming Roger Hall. He brings a wealth of experience and it’s great to now have a clinical NED on our Trust Board. Having met Roger during the interview process, I am sure he is going to be a great asset for the Trust.”