Interim chief executive appointed

A distinguished and experienced healthcare leader has been appointed as the interim chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust.

Julian Nettel comes to the Trust with more than 20 years’ experience at senior level in the NHS.  He has held chief executive positions in three large acute London Trusts and been the managing director of the NHS Institute for Improvement and Innovation.

Mr Nettel was operations director at King’s Healthcare NHS Trust before being appointed as chief executive of Ealing Hospital NHS Trust.  In 1999 he was appointed CEO of St Mary’s NHS Trust where he led the organisation to achieve the highest clinical and governance performance ratings which contributed to it being named the inaugural Dr Foster Hospital of the Year. Mr Nettel was also chief executive at Barts and the London NHS Trust where he was instrumental in changing the organisation so it could better carry out translational research.

Most recently Mr Nettel has provided consultancy support to a number of large health organisations and was interim managing director of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

He joins Great Ormond Street Hospital after Jan Filochowski, the current chief executive, announced his retirement from the post last month. Mr Nettel will take up post on January 1 2014.

Welcoming the new appointment, Baroness Blackstone, chair of Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “I am delighted that Julian will be joining the Trust. His experience of managing large complex teaching hospitals and knowledge of the acute NHS London landscape mean that he will be invaluable.”

The interim chief executive joins the organisation at a time when it has the lowest possible risk rating from the Care Quality Commission and a green rating for governance from the foundation trust regulator Monitor.

Mr Nettel said: “I am very excited about joining Great Ormond Street Hospital and using my knowledge and experience to help it continue to thrive as one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. I have visited the hospital on a number of occasions and have always been impressed by the dedication of the staff and the quality of care delivered.

“I am looking forward to working with them to further foster innovation and improve the care and treatment the hospital offers to some of the country’s sickest children.”