Queen Victoria Hospital appoints new Chair

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH) in East Grinstead has appointed Beryl Hobson as its new Chair. Beryl will join the trust in July as Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate. She will take on the role of Chair in March 2015 when current Chairman Peter Griffiths retires.

Beryl is currently the Chair of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). She was previously the first Chair of Sussex Downs & Weald Primary Care Trust and has more than twenty years of board level experience gained in both charity and NHS organisations.

With a vacancy for a non-executive director (NED), QVH decided to recruit a chair designate rather than a NED. This will enable the chair to have a longer induction period and to gain an understanding of board strengths before deciding on the appropriate portfolio for a new NED.

Speaking of her appointment, Beryl Hobson said: “I am delighted to be joining QVH. I am passionate about the NHS and was attracted to the role because of the trust’s reputation for providing high quality specialist services and its strong community emphasis. I look forward to working with the board and benefitting from Peter’s guidance over the remainder of his tenure so that I may continue the strong leadership of the hospital and ensure that it is well governed into the future.”

QVH Chairman, Peter Griffiths, said: “We are pleased to welcome Beryl. Her significant chairing experience, strategic thinking and corporate governance skills will, we are sure, make a significant contribution to leading QVH through the next phase of its future.”