Movers and Shakers news roundup

The latest edition of Movers and Shakers features a new role for former NHS England CNIO Natasha Phillips and new trust CEOs at Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Royal Devon University Healthcare.

A veteran chief executive has been appointed as permanent head of an ambulance trust. Peter Reading, who has been chief executive for nearly a quarter of a century, had been working as interim at Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust for seven months.

He has now been appointed to the permanent role after a “comprehensive and robust recruitment process”.

CHEC, one of the UK’s leading providers of community healthcare, has made two senior appointments to its expanding team. Tim Knockton has joined the firm as group chief financial officer, while James Wilson has stepped into the role of chief technology officer, both tasked with taking the company forward in its ambitious growth plans.

Natasha Phillips has joined the Highland Marketing advisory board, to contribute her passion for nursing and digital transformation to its debates on health and care technology and the guidance it provides to the agency and its clients.

Phillips stepped down from her role as NHS England’s first chief nursing information officer last year to found her own company, Future Nurse.

EMIS has appointed GP Dr Krishna Vakharia as its chief medical officer for health after 18 months with the business. Dr Vakharia joined the UK leader in connected healthcare software and systems in 2022 as the clinical director responsible for patient and patient access app.

NHS data management and interoperability company ReStart has appointed the former Alcidion and EMIS director Lynette Ousby as its first ever chief executive officer. Lynette will work closely with ReStart’s founder and current managing director Mike Symers, who will become executive chairman as part of a strengthened senior leadership team.

The long-serving chief executive of a trust that is one of the worst performers nationally on emergency care has announced she is resigning. Ann James will step down as CEO of University Hospitals Plymouth Trust at the end of March after 12 years in post.

A trust announcement said Ms James “made a significant contribution to improving healthcare across Devon and Cornwall… in very challenging circumstances”.

Lindus Health, an anti-CRO running radically faster, more reliable clinical trials for life science pioneers, has announced the appointment of Professor Robert S Langer, renowned scientist, institute professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and co-founder of Moderna, Inc. to its Advisory Board.

Sam Higginson has joined the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as its new chief executive officer. Higginson brings extensive experience to the role, having worked in and around the NHS for the last 20 years across strategy, finance and operational roles.

Multitone Electronics has announced the promotion of Michael Moulden to the new role of head of hardware development. Last year, Moulden joined the Multitone team as mechanical design engineer following a career as a freelance designer and design engineer.

Answer Digital has promoted Richard Pugmire to the role of CEO. He will work with the management team to deliver ambitious growth plans as the company builds on its artificial intelligence (AI) expertise.

The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has appointed Richard Wells as its new director of healthcare informatics. Richard’s role will include leading PHIN’s team of data experts as they collect data from private hospitals and clinics across the UK, to provide a more transparent view of the independent sector and help patients to make more informed decisions.

More appointments and departures can be found on Digital Health Intelligence.