We announced the appointment of our next chair at CHFT yesterday  - Philip Lewer..

Philip  - currently lay chair at Leeds  South and East CCG - will  succeed  our current chairman of seven years Andrew  Haigh when he bids farewell to CHFT at the end of March.  They met up yesterday (see attached) during Philip's first visit to the Trust since his appointment was confirmed.

Mr Lewer, started out in healthcare as social worker  and now has  40 years' experience providing health care in local authorities and the NHS  at the highest levels in both Lancashire and Yorkshire.

He  is currently lay chair of the NHS Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group and has worked in health and social care locally and regionally for many years. Philip is a social worker by background and was a former Director of Adults Health and Social Care at Calderdale Council and was also Deputy Regional Director at the Department of Health. He has over 25 years’ experience of leading and managing large scale, complex organisations.

Philip lives in Bingley and his four grand-children were born at Calderdale Royal Hospital. He said: “I am driven by a passionate desire for the NHS and all it stands for. There are undoubtedly times of change and challenge ahead for the Trust as there are for all Trusts. I am looking forward to working together with my new Board members and colleagues across the Trust to ensure we continue to provide the best healthcare services possible for our local populations.”

He has an amazing career path which has taken him from a market stall in Lancashire into social work and roles in a providing healthcare in many different settings as well as working with the regional teams of the DoH.

All will be revealed when he joins us officially in April.