Chief Executive To Take Up A New Post

08/04/2008

Marie Burnham, the Chief Executive of North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, is to take up a new appointment as the Chief Executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Marie will be joining the East Lancashire Trust on 1 July 2008 following her successful five-year career in her first chief executive post in North Cumbria.

In an announcement to staff today, Chairman Mr Eric Urquhart paid tribute to the ‘’enormous and significant contribution’’ that Marie has made to hospital and healthcare services throughout North Cumbria.

He commented: “We shall be extremely sorry to lose a chief executive of Marie’s calibre and professional standing. Marie has made an enormously valuable and significant contribution during her time with our Trust and is universally respected for the skill, dedication and flair she has brought to our hospitals.’’

Simon Raimes, the Medical Director of North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, added: ‘’We are extremely disappointed to be losing Marie - it will be our loss and East Lancashire’s gain. We wish her well for this new post which is a considerable step forward in her career.’’

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest Trusts in the North West region. It provides hospital services for a population of over half a million people across the East Lancashire area from four hospital sites and employs around 7,000 staff. The Trust treats around three quarters of a million patients each year.

Marie has devoted her career to the National Health Service since leaving school and was one of the youngest ward sisters to be appointed in the NHS.

She joined North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust on 1 July 2003. The Trust, which employs 4,300 staff, had been zero rated in the Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check in 2002 and had received a damning report from the Commission for Health Improvement.

Marie put a new executive director team in place, introduced better governance and planning and within a year of becoming Chief Executive, the Trust became a one-star organisation. A year later, it became a two-star organisation.

Marie was at the forefront of developing a clear health strategy for North Cumbria to create a stable health environment.

At the same time, Marie improved the working lives of staff securing the top accolade for the Trust in the Department of Health’s Improving Working Lives programme – Practice Plus – in 2005. This year, Marie has also launched the Trust’s Celebrating Excellence Awards to formally reward the innovation and achievement of staff for the first time in the Trust’s history.

She also supported the launch one of the biggest community fund-raising campaigns to provide new echo-cardiograph equipment for the hospitals and developed new public confidence in the Trust’s services.

The Trust has started to build a new Dental Education Centre for Cumbria, has developed plans to become a Foundation Hospital NHS Trust and has recently gained Privy Council consent to develop proposals to become a University Hospital Trust.

Marie said: “It has been the most exciting five years of my career working in North Cumbria. I love Cumbria and its people and although I will be moving to this new post, I will continue to maintain my contact with the county.

‘’I have always had the utmost respect for our staff and it will be a great pull to leave them. However, I know that I am leaving at a time when this Trust can move forward, continue to provide quality healthcare to patients and achieve Foundation and University Hospital Trust status.’’

North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust