Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust appoints new Chief Executive Officer

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has announced the official appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jane Tomkinson OBE, following a competitive and open recruitment process.

Jane has been acting CEO at the Trust since December 2022, taking on the role to provide additional senior leadership whilst also serving as CEO of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Over the past year, Jane has demonstrated exceptional leadership and has significantly contributed to the stabilisation of The Trust.

Under her guidance, the organisation has shown extremely promising early progress across a number of issues crucial to both patients and staff.

First starting her NHS career back in 1990, Jane has a longstanding connection with the Countess of Chester Hospital, having previously held key roles at the Trust, including Deputy Director of Finance back in 1998, followed by a stint as Director of Business Development.

She later went on to serve as the Trust's Finance Director from 2004- 2011, before embarking on a secondment to the North of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA), where her role as Finance Director played a pivotal role overseeing the complex task of winding down finances for SHAs across the North West.

In October 2013, Jane undertook the role as CEO at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, (LHCH)  where she earned an OBE in recognition for her contributions to NHS finance.

Under her leadership, Jane's focus on culture, improvement and inclusion saw the hospital consistently perform at the highest levels, with LHCH becoming the first specialist Trust to be rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission in 2016.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Chairman Ian Haythornthwaite said:

"I am delighted to welcome Jane to the Trust on a permanent basis and know that as we look to the future and strive to achieve great things, she has the passion, commitment, and drive to lead us through the challenges on the road ahead.  We believe her appointment will bring greater stability and stronger leadership.

“With an unwavering focus on improvement, and honesty and commitment at the heart of Jane’s approach, I am confident that we can continue to enhance the quality and safety of our services and really focus on what counts for our patients.”

Pictured - Jane Tomkinson.