This page was last updated: January 9th, 2023
The next Trust Board In Public meeting is on Thursday 2nd March 2023. This meeting will be held live via Microsoft Teams. Link to follow.
We welcome questions from members of the public on any matter being considered by the Board. Written questions can be submitted to the Company Secretary up to 5pm on the working day prior to the Board meeting (email rcht.corporategovernance@nhs.net). Any such questions will be read out by the Chairwoman and a written response provided after the meeting – both will be reported in the minutes. Questions can also be submitted during the meeting using the Q&A function on Teams Live. The protocol for public questions is listed on the agenda.
The Board has a range of committees (statutory and non-statutory), chaired by non-executive directors, that have key roles in relation to audit, risk, quality, safety, finance, performance, workforce and the Trust’s charity. Each of the committees submits from the Chair of the Committee an assurance report to each public meeting of the Board (every two months), which outlines key issues considered and highlights any risks and/or areas of development that the Board needs to be apprised of. There is cross membership between Committees to support the connection between the business of key committees and also to seek to integrate assurance reporting where relevant.
Members of the Public will also be asked whether they wish to raise a question prior to the start of the meeting, and these will be recorded and provided to the Chairman of the Trust Board. The Chairman of the Trust Board may permit an oral question to be asked at the end of the meeting of the Trust Board without notice having been given.
Venues and times of Board meetings are all subject to amendment so, before attending a Board meeting, please check on the Trust’s website to ensure the date and/or venue has not changed or telephone 01872 256343.
All Trust board meeting will take place in the Knowledge Spa, unless otherwise stated.
All Trust Board meetings in Public will commence at 09:45 unless otherwise specified.
Chair: Sarah Newton, Non-Executive Director
The Audit & Risk Assurance Committee has oversight responsibilities and, where appropriate, facilitates and supports the attainment of effective internal control processes. It oversees the risk management system of the Trust. The Committee’s Terms of Reference map to the HMFA Audit Committee Handbook. Day to day responsibility for operational risk management is delegated to senior managers throughout the Trust and their responsibilities are set out in the Risk Management Strategy and Policy.
See the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets at least five times a year.
Chair: Ruth Allarton, Senior Independent Director
The Quality Assurance Committee is responsible for seeking assurance on behalf of the Board about quality, safety, patient experience and the Trust’s registration with the Care Quality Commission.
See the Quality Assurance Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets monthly.
Chair: Richard Stephenson, Vice-Chair of the Board, Non-Executive Director
The Finance and Performance Committee seeks assurance on behalf of the Board on the Trust’s financial management and organisational performance, business planning, estate and facilities management and digital infrastructure.
See the Finance and Performance Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets monthly.
Chair: Adam Broome, Non-Executive Director
The People and Organisational Development Committee seeks assurance on behalf of the Board on all aspects of workforce and organisational development supporting the provision of safe, high quality, patient-centered care.
See the People and Organisational Development Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets at least 6 times a year.
Chair: Ruth Allarton, Senior Independent Director
The Remuneration and Appointments Committee seeks to identify and appoint candidates to fill all very senior manager (VSM) positions and to determine the remuneration and other conditions of service for VSMs. The Committee will on occasion review the circumstances of other staff outside of VSM’s in line with its Terms of Reference. The Committee is also responsible for ensuring there is a robust fit and proper persons policy for the Board of Directors and for reviewing the overall composition and skills mix of the Board.
See the Remuneration and Appointments Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets at least three times per year.
Chair: Sarah Newton, Non-Executive Director
The Trust is the sole Corporate Trustee of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity and, through its Charitable Funds Committee, ensures that effective structures and systems are in place to manage those charitable funds in accordance with statutory and other legal requirements and best practice as required by the Charity Commission.
See the Charitable Funds Committee’s Terms of Reference
This committee meets at least 6 times a year.
Voting Member
Dr Mairi Mclean holds professional social work and leadership qualifications and has led health and social care services for over 30 years. Mairi has wide social care, public health, housing, and private sector board level experience, has worked as CEO in two local authorities in England, and is currently the Chairwoman of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust.
Mairi has been a member of the RCHT Board for six years and is now proud and privileged to lead it. Working to mitigate health inequalities and the factors that lead to ill health is a passion, while ensuring the right care closest to people’s own safe homes is paramount. It is her passion to make vulnerable people’s lives the best they can be, and to enable the people who deliver services to have well supported work environments that care about their wellbeing.
Voting Member
Steve has significant executive experience leading hospital and health services and has held senior roles in hospitals in Portsmouth, Southampton, South Tyneside and Australia. His most recent appointment was Chief Executive of Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service in Australia, a role he held for 5 years. In this role he was responsible for 12 hospitals and community health services across a region of 110,000 km2.
Steve is passionate about delivering great quality regional and rural healthcare close to home and in working in partnership to achieve great outcomes. He has significant NHS senior leadership experience including his roles as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive at South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust. Steve also worked at a senior level at University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust where he was responsible for regional specialist cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, major trauma centre and other specialist services.
Voting Member
Ruth joined the RCHT Board in October 2018 as an Associate Non-Executive Director and in April 2021 was appointed as Non-Executive Director. Ruth is the Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee, the Remuneration and Appointments Committee and also the Senior Independent Director.
Voting Member
Adam Broome re-joined the Board in November 2020, having previously been a Non-Executive Director from 2014 to 2016 and is the Chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee.
Voting Member
Nina joined the Trust Board as an Associate Non-Executive Director in June 2021. Nina is a registered dentist who has been providing care within Cornwall since 2003.
Voting Member
Sarah is the Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and the Chair of the Charitable Funds Committee. Sarah joined the Trust in March 2020 and has extensive experience in the public, business and voluntary sectors. She has held several leadership…
Sarah has 30 years’ experience of strategic planning, reputation management, innovation with a focus on sustainability and inclusion.
Sarah was the Director of the ILC -UK a ‘think and do’ tank tackling demographic change and Director with responsibility for fundraising and marketing at Age Concern – now Age UK. Sarah also has 10 years’ experience in financial services. She worked as Marketing and New Business Development Directors for American Express Europe, at Citibank and on the Board of Age Concern Enterprises.
Voting Member
Richard is the Vice-Chair of the Board and the Chair of the Finance & Performance Committee. Having started his career as a physiotherapist, Richard spent over 30 years in higher education holding executive leadership positions…
Voting Member
Isobel has many years’ experience working as a leadership consultant and executive coach to health and care organisations and systems within the UK.
Since 2003 Isobel has worked independently as a consultant and coach, with an extensive client base from within the health and care sector. She has a strong track record of the design and delivery of medical, nursing and managerial leadership development programmes within the UK
She holds post graduate qualifications in health management and Executive Coaching, and a Masters’ degree in Organisational Consulting from Middlesex University, on behalf of Ashridge Business School.
In recent years Isobel has built significant consulting expertise in working with complex systems and is currently working with leaders within statutory and third sector organisations and partnerships to support the integration of health and care within local systems. She is an Associate consultant with the Kings Fund, and with the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management.
Isobel has lived in Cornwall since the 1980s.
Voting Member
Kim is a passionate and highly visible professional leader, with extensive strategic and operational experience at a senior management level.
Kim returned to the UK in 1999 undertaking various roles within the Dudley Group of Hospitals and went on to complete her MSc Professional Health Care Studies at Wolverhampton University in 2006.
Kim is passionate about non-medical work force development / leadership and engendering a ‘just culture’ work place climate. Evidenced based practice ensures patients receive patient centred quality care and this is further supported by Kim’s role as an Honorary Associate Professor of Nursing, University of Plymouth.
Kim took on her joint role with CFT in late 2019 and since May 2020 is also Deputy Chief Executive at RCHT.
Voting Member
Allister joined the Trust on 1 November 2019 and brings his experience in medical management, governance and quality, as well as extensive…
A Consultant Hepatologist by background, Allister joined the Trust following an appointment at University Hospitals of Leicester. He spent 5 years as Head of the Liver and Gastro-intestinal Unit: a service he has helped develop since joining as the hospitals’ first hepatologist 15 years ago. Allister was also the Clinical Director/Medical Director for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland NHS Alliance. This is a novel partnership of providers and commissioners in Leicestershire with a remit to transform services and deliver care closer to home for Leicestershire patients.
Voting Member
Karl Simkins, is an experienced Executive joining the Trust in July 2010, having previously undertaken senior finance and Director of Finance…
Voting Member
Robin joined RCHT in March 2019 as a General Manager before becoming the Deputy Chief Operating Officer later that year.
In attendance
Ella joined RCHT in 2016 where she has held the roles of Associate Director of Transformation and Deputy Chief Operation Officer before…
In attendance
Kelvyn Hipperson joined the RCHT Board in Jan 2019 taking on a dual role as Chief Information Officer across Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust…
In attendance
Alison is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She spent her early career in the private sector working for large retail companies…