Baroness Julia Neuberger to stand down as chair at the end of her term

Our current chair, Baroness Julia Neuberger, will stand down as chair at the end of her second term on 30 September, after more than six years in the role.

 

Baroness Neuberger has helped to steer Whittington Health through a period of extraordinary change during her time in the role. She officially became our chair on 1 April 2020 exactly a week after the then Prime Minister had announced the first COVID-19 lockdown.

 

Having helped the trust to navigate the most challenging period in our history, she has gone on to oversee several important developments. These include the opening of our brand-new Community Diagnostic Centre in Wood Green in 2022, its expansion in 2023, and the incorporation of Barnet Children’s Integrated Therapy and Universal Services teams into Whittington Health. Later this year we will also see works commence to transform our maternity and neonatal estate to bring our facilities up to the same high standards as the care our staff provide.

 

Importantly, Baroness Neuberger also was pivotal in the development of a formal partnership between Whittington Health and UCLH. With that formal partnership now in place, following careful consideration, and with the support of NHS England, Whittington Health and UCLH have decided to recruit two new separate chairs.

 

Given the exciting and demanding agendas of both organisations, they have agreed that it is right that each seek a chair who can help deliver their priorities, whilst continuing to work in partnership where this benefits our patients, communities and organisations.

Baroness Neuberger said: “Whittington Health was a part of my life long before I had the honour of becoming its chair and I will continue to be a huge supporter of the trust long after the end of my term. It has been my pleasure to work alongside such an amazing team of caring, skilled and utterly committed people who I will miss terribly.

“I am proud of what we have achieved, together, over the past six years. I am more confident than ever that Whittington Health will continue to go from strength to strength caring for and supporting its local community, for whom it has such a special place in their hearts.”

Whittington Health CEO, Selina Douglas said: “I cannot thank Julia enough for the support she has given me, personally, in my first six months in my role as CEO and for the service and support she has given to Whittington Health over the past six years.

 

“Throughout her tenure she has remained a constant source of wise and compassionate leadership, with a steadfast focus on making sure that Whittington Health continues to improve the care and support it offers to local people, regardless of their background. I know that I speak for everyone when I say she will be missed.”

 

A process to appoint a new chair will begin shortly.