NHS Trust Chairman Reappointed

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which provides pre-hospital emergency and urgent care services to the population of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, is pleased to announce the reappointment of its Chairman; Mrs Heather Strawbridge, who will serve for another 4 years.

Heather began her term of office as Chairman with the former Westcountry Ambulance Service in 2004, which means that she has already undertaken this important role for six years.

Heather is the leader of the Board for this Trust, which has achieved excellence in becoming the top performing ambulance service in the country. Earlier this year South Western Ambulance Service also won a much sought after infection control accolade from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), which was sponsored by the Health Service Journal and Nursing Times.

Her new contract comes into effect on 1 July this year and will run until 30 June 2014. The remuneration for her appointment is £20,896 per annum.

Heather, who resides in Puriton, Somerset, has a wealth of experience and extensive understanding of large and complex organisations, particularly in the public sector. For eight years she was an integral part of local Government in Somerset as both a leading county and district Councillor. Her experience and working knowledge has been strengthened through her Chairmanship of Connect South West Limited (formerly Connexions Somerset) and as a governor of Bridgwater College.

She is currently the Chairman of the NHS Confederation Ambulance Services Network and this high profile position brings a national perspective to the Board. She also has a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Mathematics (Open University).

Heather's reappointment means that she can continue to embrace the challenges of delivering high quality care to patients across the region. She said:
"I am very pleased to have the opportunity to continue leading such a high performing organisation. It is rewarding to see the Trust receive recognition, not only for achieving challenging targets, but also ensuring that the clinical focus taken by the Trust enables staff to deliver excellent services to patients across the south west."
The Trust Chief Executive Ken Wenman said,

"I am delighted to learn of Heather's reappointment and on behalf of the Board, would like to congratulate her. She has played a very important role in the development of South Western Ambulance Service since its creation in July 2006."

This reappointment has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice. All non-executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointee's political activity to be made public. In the case of this reappointment no political activity has been declared and no other ministerial appointments are held.