New Chief Executive appointed to lead Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
Matthew Kershaw has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive of Croydon Health Services, to lead the Trust as it continues to make improvements in caring for people across the borough.
Matthew will start at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust on 1 October 2018 when the current Chief Executive John Goulston retires after more than six successful years at the Trust.
Matthew will be responsible for ensuring that CHS further enhances its quality of care and performance – including maintaining some of the lowest hospital waiting times in London1 – whilst continuing to revive the Trust’s financial health.2
Announcing the appointment, Mike Bell, Chairman of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said:
“Matthew has more than 25 years’ experience in the health service, managing large acute trusts and holding prominent national policy-making roles. His skills will be invaluable in leading the Trust on the next chapter of its improvement journey.
"Our cancer waiting times are some of the best in London, but like many NHS Trusts, our Emergency Department is under increasing pressure. With our clinicians, Matthew and the senior team at CHS will be responsible for further improving our performance. Working alongside our partners we want to provide excellent – and more coordinated care – for more people as our population continues to grow.”
He also thanked John Goulston for his many years of dedicated service, saying:
“John has delivered significant and real improvements in our care for Croydon through his professionalism, vision and determination to involve staff at all levels of the Trust. He has transformed the organisation and on behalf of the Trust Board and our staff, I would like to thank John and wish him well in his retirement.”
Earlier this year, the Trust has signed a landmark agreement to extend the ‘One Croydon’ alliance 3 to transform health and care services for local residents. Aimed at increasing partnership working between Croydon’s NHS, GPs, the local authority and the voluntary sector in the borough, the alliance seeks to give people greater control of their health and choice of services. New initiatives include home visits for older people with long-term conditions in the borough to help link the various health and care agencies to give them more coordinated care and support.
Matthew Kershaw said:
“I can’t wait to get started and this is a really exciting time at the Trust with the construction of its brand new Emergency Department that will further improve services for patients and the care environment for staff.
“I am looking forward to working with all staff as we drive forward continued improvements in performance across the Trust, and strengthening our partnerships across the borough to transform our care – both in and out of hospital.”
Matthew is joining the Trust on a fixed term contract agreed with NHS Improvement while the Trust reviews its management structure.
Dr Agnelo Fernandes, a local GP and Chair of NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“It is important that the NHS works together in Croydon to keep improving people’s health and care in the borough. Our One Croydon alliance is delivering real benefits for our community, including extra support for residents at home, and weekly reviews at every GP practice to better coordinate personalised treatment plans.
“I look forward to working with Matthew and colleagues at CHS as we continue to transform local health services in Croydon at pace.”
Matthew Kershaw’s biography:
Matthew Kershaw is currently a Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, a health think-tank, where he has played a key role in its work with health and care organisations to develop integrated care that better meets the needs of patients and service-users. He has over 25 years of NHS experience and has held a number of senior leadership roles, most recently as Chief Executive of East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust where he led the Trust out of Quality Special Measures. Prior to this, Matthew was Chief Executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust for three years securing £500m capital to redevelop the Sussex County Hospital. He has worked nationally at the Department of Health, including developing the delivery plan for the 18-week waiting time target and being the first trust special administrator. His career has also seen him work with the Care Quality Commission, Health Education England, and the Kent Cancer Alliance, where he chaired the Kent Surrey and Sussex Clinical Research Network.
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Croydon Health Services was among the top three acute trusts in London for how long people have to wait to start treatment or see a specialist about suspected cancer, according to published data. Performance figures from NHS England shows that 93.1 percent of patients who were referred to CHS for consultant-led elective (planned) care waited less than 18 weeks in June 2018. This placed the Trust above the national average for the third month in a row and at third position among the capital’s 18 acute trusts on Referral to Treatment Times (RTT). CHS was also at third position among London acute trusts on waiting times for people with suspected cancer with 98.32 percent of people seeing a specialist within two weeks. This was above the England average of 91.10 percent.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated three of out of four core services at CHS as ‘Good’ in its most recently published inspection (February 2018). Inspectors found there had been improvements in surgery, end of life care and outpatients, raising the rating from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ in all three services. The Trust was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ overall.
2. Croydon Health Services was placed in Financial Special Measures by NHS Improvement in 2016, successfully exiting in 2017, and has since developed a robust plan to deliver £19m of savings this year (2018/19). This will halve the Trust’s deficit to £15m compared to two years ago (2016/17).
3.In March 2018, CHS and Croydon CCG signed a new nine year agreement with its One Croydon Alliance partners. The extended contract aims to deliver better joined-up care and support for people of all ages in the borough. The One Croydon Alliance partners are: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, Croydon Council, the Croydon GP Collaborative, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Age UK Croydon.
As part of the alliance, Personal Independence Coordinators (PICs) were introduced to visit older people with long-term conditions in their own homes and provide the link between various health and care agencies, as well as give isolated people access to community groups and volunteering opportunities. The aim is keep the person well which avoids them needing hospital care and helps them maintain their own independence and wellbeing.
4. Croydon Health Services NHS Trust employs more than 3,800 staff and provides integrated NHS services to care for people at home, in schools, and health clinics across the borough. The Trust runs two hospitals in the north and south of the borough: Croydon University Hospital is home to the borough’s only Emergency Department and 24/7 maternity services, including a labour ward, midwifery-led birth centre and the Crocus home birthing team. Purley War Memorial Hospital in the south of the borough offers outpatient care, including diagnostic services, physiotherapy and ophthalmology services run by Moorfields Eye Hospital, alongside an onsite GP surgery. The Trust’s emergency care doctors and nurses have teamed up with local GPs to run a seamless network of urgent care services across the borough, including booked appointments with a GP available seven days a week. The Trust’s experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children’s Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital.