Trust appoints new Chair

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Professor Sue Proctor as its new Chair.

The role of an NHS foundation trust Chair is to head up the non-executive directors and hold the Chief Executive and her executive team to account on the delivery of the organisation’s strategic aims and objectives.

Sue is currently the Vice Chair of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. She will take over from outgoing chair Frank Griffiths on 1 April 2017 who comes to the end of his term of office after seven years.

Frank Griffiths, outgoing Chair of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted at Sue’s appointment. She has considerable leadership experience including over 30 years in the NHS. She has worked with local and regional partners in a variety of roles and has led high profile investigations into some very complex and sensitive matters.

“Sue joins our Trust at a time when we are looking to work across traditional boundaries and form strong partnerships in the NHS and beyond to continue to provide outstanding services. I cannot think of someone more qualified to guide us through the times ahead.”

Professor Sue Proctor said: “I am delighted to be appointed Chair of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It will be an honour to work with staff, users and carers, governors, members and our many partners to continue and further develop work to improve our services.

“The health and care environment is a challenging one and I look forward to working with the many people in this great organisation who are committed to ensuring the best possible care for all who use our services.”

Dr Sara Munro, Chief Executive at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Sue to the Trust. The knowledge and expertise Sue will bring, particularly in corporate and clinical governance, will be a great asset to our Board and I’m really looking forward to working with her in the years ahead.”

Professor Sue Proctor

Sue has over 30 years of experience in health care organisations; qualifying as a nurse in 1987 and a midwife in 1990. She has a masters degree in nursing, and a PhD in health care management, both from the University of Bradford.

Sue has extensive leadership experience in the NHS, including seven years as an executive director, and four years as a non-executive director. From 2010 to 2013 she was Diocesan Secretary at the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

Currently, Sue runs a management consultancy firm working with health, charity and faith-based organisations. She has strong links with higher education as a former member of the University of Leeds Council and a Visiting Professor at Leeds Beckett University. She is currently Chair of the Strategic Safeguarding Group for the Diocese of York, and a lay member of the Veterinary Nursing Council at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

In the last few years, Sue led two extensive and complicated investigations into allegations of historical sexual abuse. From 2013 to 2014, she chaired the independent investigation into matters relating to Jimmy Savile at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and then led the national NHS Savile Legacy Unit overseeing 16 subsequent Savile-related NHS investigations. In 2016, she led an investigation into abuse at a former children’s home in Kent.

Sue has been Vice Chair of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust since August 2013. In this role she is a member of the Audit Committee and the Quality Committee, as well as being the non-executive lead for research and complaints within the Trust.

Her expertise is in corporate and clinical governance, safeguarding, strategic planning and delivery, and she describes her passion as “improving services for patients and carers by working in partnership with them”.

Frank Griffiths

For more information about outgoing Chairman Frank Griffiths, visit the Board of Directors page on our website.