Hello, and thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive Officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UH Sussex). This is an important moment for our organisation, and we are seeking a leader of outstanding ability, character and commitment to help shape our next chapter.

UH Sussex was created with a bold ambition: to bring together the best of our hospitals, our people and our expertise to deliver consistently excellent care for the communities we serve. We are proud to be one of the largest acute trusts in the country, providing specialist and tertiary services to more than 1.8 million people across Sussex and beyond – through our hospitals in Brighton, Haywards Heath, Worthing and Chichester, and our community and satellite services.

Every day, our colleagues show extraordinary professionalism, compassion and resilience. They continue to deliver care with dedication and skill, while facing significant pressures and change. We are equally clear about where we must improve. We are strengthening our governance and culture, improving consistency of quality and safety, and completing the journey to One UH Sussex – a single, unified organisation with shared values and purpose.

We have recently launched our new five-year strategy, Excellent Care Everywhere. It sets out our ambition to provide excellent care for our patients, our people, our communities, for our future, and together as One UH Sussex. It is rooted in our values of being Compassionate, Inclusive and Respectful, and will guide how we continue to learn, improve and deliver safe, high-quality care for everyone who depends on us.

We also recognise the scale of the challenges we face. The Trust is currently subject to a police investigation, Operation Bramber, which is looking into allegations about historical staff conduct. We are cooperating fully with the investigation and supporting those affected. In addition, we are one of the organisations included in the national maternity review being led by Baroness Amos. We are working openly with the inquiry team and our partners to ensure that lessons are learned and that improvements are made where they are needed most.

These are serious matters, and they require strong, compassionate and honest leadership. Our next Chief Executive will need to balance openness and integrity with operational focus and cultural renewal – building trust, ensuring accountability, and creating the conditions where colleagues can thrive and patients receive the best care possible.

From extensive staff listening sessions and a Trust-wide survey, our people told us what they need from their next CEO. They want a leader who is visible and authentic, who listens first, and who leads with honesty, fairness and respect. They want psychological safety, clear priorities and real follow-through. Above all, they want someone who values every role, every site, and every patient equally.

We are therefore seeking a Chief Executive who will lead with clarity, integrity and compassion. You will bring a proven track record of improvement in complex healthcare systems, underpinned by operational grip, financial discipline and a collaborative approach. You will be an inclusive, people-centred leader, able to inspire confidence across a large and diverse workforce and to work in partnership across the Surrey & Sussex Integrated Care System, local authorities, universities and community partners.

This is a demanding but hugely rewarding opportunity. You will join an organisation with significant strengths – skilled and committed staff, areas of clinical excellence, strong research and education links, and communities that care deeply about their local NHS. With the right leadership, we can move from recovery to renewal and realise the full potential of UH Sussex.

If you are energised by the opportunity to make a lasting difference; to unite and strengthen a major NHS trust and to lead it forward with confidence and compassion, we would be delighted to hear from you.

If you think you can help and are up for the challenge, please contact our recruitment partners Rhiannon Smith and James McLeod at Hunter Healthcare [email protected] or by phone on 07842 424530.

Philippa Slinger
Chair,
University Hospitals Sussex
NHS Foundation Trust