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Chief nurse to lead trust

Published on: 6 Mar 2023
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A hospital trust in the East of England has appointed its former chief nurse as chief executive to lead it into a ‘fresh era’.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn Foundation Trust announced Alice Webster – currently acting CEO – will take up the role permanently, with immediate effect.

Ms Webster joined QEH as chief nurse in May 2021 from the Isle of Wight Trust, where she was also chief nurse. She has also worked as a regional director at NHS Improvement and spent her earlier career in East Sussex. She qualified as a nurse in 1990. 

Her predecessor as QEHKL CEO, Caroline Shaw, was in the post from January 2019 until September when she joined a health technology company. Last year, the trust was removed from NHS England’s “recovery support programme”, formerly known as special measures, when the Care Quality Commission upgraded its rating to “requires improvement”. 

The hospital has an extremely outdated building including RAAC planks, and Ms Shaw vocally campaigned for capital for a rebuild. This has not yet been granted, although government is believed to be prioritising RAAC hospitals for the next phase of its new hospitals programme.

Ms Webster said of her appointment: “It’s an absolute honour and privilege to have been selected as CEO. I very much look forward to continuing QEH’s journey of continuous improvement and innovation along with realising the trust’s potential and ambitions for the future.”