Ex-civil servant appointed trust CEO

Gloucestershire Health and Care Foundation Trust has appointed a new chief executive.

Douglas Blair will join the community and mental health trust after outgoing CEO Paul Roberts retires in March next year.

Mr Blair is currently managing director of Wiltshire Health and Care, which is a community services provider formed by three local NHS trusts: Great Western Hospitals, Royal United Hospitals Bath and Salisbury foundation trusts. He has led the provider since its inception in 2016.

Mr Blair joined the NHS in 2006 and held director jobs at South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and the South West Strategic Health Authority.

Prior to his time in the NHS he was a civil servant, and worked on homelessness policy, rural policy, the Scottish Cabinet secretariat and the reform and transformation of the prosecution service in Scotland.

The trust interviewed five candidates for the role, and its chair Ingrid Barker said the recruitment panel were “highly impressed” by Mr Blair’s “strong commitment and what he can bring to our trust”.

Mr Blair said: “I have been impressed by the strong foundations in place within the trust and am excited by the opportunity to build on these to make further developments and improvements over the coming years.”

Gloucestershire Health and Care FT is rated “good” by the Care Quality Commission and has an annual income of around £250m.