Council of Governors appoints two new non-executive directors

Professor Aidan Fowler and Adrian Gardner have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for an initial term of three years each with effect from yesterday (Sunday 1 November).

The Trust's Council of Governors, which includes elected representatives of the public and staff, approved the appointments at its meeting on 24 September.

Professor Aidan Fowler is National Director of Patient Safety and Deputy Medical Director at NHS England, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Social Care, and he also holds the honorary post of Associate Professor of Practice at University College London.

In 2025, he was seconded for six months as Chief Inspector of Healthcare at the Care Quality Commission and he was previously National Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Wales and a Board Member of Public Health Wales.

Earlier in his career, Aidan was a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon in Gloucestershire for 10 years, and Chief of Service for Surgery for four years, before entering the NHS Leadership Academy Fast Track Executive Training Programme.

Aidan says: “I am delighted to be joining OUH as a Non-Executive Director and I am very much looking forward to working with such a strong organisation on the important agenda of continuously improving the quality of services provided to the local population.

“In addition, I look forward to bringing the national perspective on quality and safety to the Trust. I think there will also be the opportunity to take learning from Oxford and improve the way we work with provider boards across the NHS.”

Adrian Gardner is an experienced Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair. Until retiring from full-time corporate roles, he was Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of a number of different businesses over the previous 20 years, most recently at Stonehage Fleming Family & Partners, an international family advisory business.

Currently he is a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at Amdocs Limited, a software and services business listed in the US, a Non-Executive Director and Audit & Risk Committee Chair at AlgoSec Inc, a private technology business that provides secure connectivity across hybrid corporate environments, and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee at Worcester College, Oxford University which he attended as a student.

Adrian says: “I am delighted to be appointed to the Trust Board. I owe much to my association with Oxford over many years. I am truly impressed by the skills and capabilities of the OUH hospitals and am honoured to be able to play a part in the next years of development of the Trust at such a critical time for the NHS.”

Sir Andrew Morris OBE, Chair of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says: "I am delighted to welcome Aidan and Adrian to the Trust Board and I look forward to working closely with them. They both bring skills, knowledge and experience to strengthen the Board's leadership.”