Council of Governors appoints new Chair

Sir Andrew Morris OBE has been appointed as the new Chair of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).

The Trust's Council of Governors, which includes elected representatives of the public and staff, made the appointment on 27 May. Sir Andrew is due to start in post on 1 August.

Sir Andrew is currently Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director at NHS England and a Non-Executive Director of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, having previously been Chief Executive of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust from 1991 to 2019. Plans have been agreed for him to step down from his current roles over the coming months.

The Trust's previous Chair, Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, left OUH at the end of March when he was appointed to the role of Chair for the NHS England South East Region. The OUH Vice-Chair, Sarah Hordern, will continue as Acting Chair of the Trust until 31 July.

Sir Andrew Morris said: "I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as the new Chair of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by the Council of Governors. 

"I am looking forward to working alongside patients, staff, and our key partners and stakeholders in the local health and care system so that together we can shape a bright future to benefit the patients and communities we serve."

Sarah Hordern, Acting Chair of OUH, says: "I would like to welcome the appointment by our Council of Governors of Sir Andrew Morris as the new Chair of OUH. 

"He brings an exceptional depth of experience across a range of senior NHS leadership roles which I am sure will be hugely beneficial to our patients and staff.

"During the process of recruiting our new Chair, Sir Andrew demonstrated his track record of leading values-based NHS organisations, aligning everyone from Board to ward around not only the quality of patient care and experience but also creating a patient-centred and engaged staff culture.

"I look forward to working with him and I am sure that our staff, governors and patients will give him a warm welcome when he takes up his post in August."