Chief exec to bring in foundation hospitals

THE Royal Free Hospital’s chief executive Martin Else has resigned after 22 years at the Hampstead Trust.
Mr Else, 51, is due to join the Department of Health in May and will work at Whitehall developing health policy – including establishing foundation hospitals. The Free has not yet won the three star government rating needed to become a foundation hospital – partly because of an £8m budget deficit.
Mr Else joined the Free in 1983 and became head of finance in 1986, and he took up the post as chief executive in 1994.
He said: “It has been a great privilege to be associated for so long with such a prestigious institution and the stimulating community of Hampstead.
“I shall always value the time working with excellent colleagues who make their contributions to patient care in so many ways. I shall take this invaluable experience to a new national role and will continue to take particular interest in the undoubted continued development of the trust.”
Mr Else will continue to be involved in the hospital – he is a trustee of the Royal Free Cancer Research Trust and also has a place on the board of the Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust charity. In his spare time, Mr Else is a fanatical Chelsea fan, where he has held a season ticket for many years. During his tenure, Mr Else has overseen the merging of renal (kidney) services in the North London Strategic Health Authority area – based at the Royal Free. A £50m re-building project will add extra nurses’ accommodation to the hospital and an endoscopy unit. There will also be a £3m overhaul of the labour unit.
Trust chairwoman Pam Chesters said: “Martin is moving to an important national role, taking forward the thinking around foundation trusts. He has made an immense contribution to the Royal Free over many years. Strategically significant projects such as the consolidation of renal services are a lasting testament to his time here. We wish him well in his new role.”