Trust announces departure of Chair Jo Palmer

Medway NHS Foundation Trust has announced that the Chair, Jo Palmer, is to leave the Trust at the end of October.

She is relocating to New York to take up a new role in the financial sector in which she has held senior positions within the UK.

Jo said: “Although this is an exciting professional opportunity, it is with a very heavy heart that I relinquish a role that I have genuinely loved here at Medway.

“I have been privileged to work in an organisation where the mission to deliver the ‘best of care’ really has been upheld by the ‘best of people’. Together with amazing colleagues, we have dealt with some difficult challenges such as COVID-19, rising demand in buildings dating back more than a century, and higher than ever expectations. However, the sense of community we see within the hospital, that commitment to do the best for patients, has been a tangible and powerful source of strength.

“In my time at Medway there have been so many improvements – too many to list – but among the highlights have been exiting special measures in 2017, followed more recently by a number of positive reports by the Care Quality Commission for services including Urgent and Emergency Care, Maternity, and Critical Care. The implementation of our Patient First strategy is now demonstrating that with a sound methodology in place we can accelerate improvements across the hospital.

“I am leaving the Trust at a time when we have a diverse and skilled Board in place, and an excellent Executive team under Jayne Black’s leadership. I will watch Medway’s progress with interest and pride as it goes from strength to strength.

Earlier this year Jo also took on the role of Chair of Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership. She first joined Medway NHS Foundation Trust in 2015 serving as a Non-Executive Director before becoming Chair in 2020.

Chief Executive Jayne Black said: “It has been a privilege to work with Jo as our Chair. The skills and expertise she has brought to the role have been invaluable, and combined with her compassion and integrity, we have been very fortunate to benefit from her commitment to Medway.

“We are going to miss her hugely, but she leaves with our very best wishes and thanks for all she has done.”

Mark Spragg, who has been a Non-Executive Director at Medway for six years, and is currently the Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director, will take over as Interim Chair. The process to recruit to the role permanently, will follow in the near future.