Interim chief executive at specialist hospital given permanent role

Taking up the substantive position at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital she said the NHS had some huge challenges to overcome in what had been the more difficult period of its history.

Stacey, who joined the hospital as Chief Nurse in 2019, has already had two periods as interim Chief Executive, and has been in that role since August 2021 – guiding the Trust through some of the most challenging periods of the coronavirus pandemic and leading its efforts to deliver on the National Elective Recovery Plan.

She has now been appointed to the permanent position, having come through an interview process this week.

Trust Chair Harry Turner said: “Stacey has been doing the job for the past year and a half and has proved herself to be a capable, passionate and inspiring leader. She is an authentic, clinical leader who understands what it is like for our staff on the front line.

“We ran a thorough and competitive recruitment process and both the interview and stakeholder panels were unanimous in their view that Stacey is the right person to lead this Trust in the next stage of its journey.

“I have established a strong working relationship with her since my own appointment as Chair earlier this year, and I am delighted that we will now be able to continue together to take this wonderful hospital forwards.”

Stacey arrived at the hospital as Interim Chief Nurse in November 2019, but quickly found herself elevated to the Chief Executive’s seat at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Having gone back to that initial nursing role in October 2020, she was then asked to step up as CEO once again in August last year.

Stacey said: “It has been a huge privilege to lead this Trust during the initial stages of the pandemic and over the last 16 months, and I am delighted that I will now be able to continue in post and build on the great work we have started together.

“This has been the most difficult period in the history of the NHS and it has tested all of us. We have some huge challenges; recovering our backlog and treating the people who need our services, and recruitment and retention issues which we need to address if we are to make this a truly outstanding place to work.”