Ex-council boss appointed trust chair

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has appointed a new chair, who will join the organisation from an acute trust.

Martin Havenhand will stand down as chair of The Rotherham Foundation Trust, where he has been since 2014, and will take on the role with the ambulance trust at the start of April.

Mr Havenhand has held a series of leadership and non-executive roles across major organisations in the area, including a former regional development authority, the Sheffield city region and Yorkshire Water. In the 1990s he was chief executive of Bassetlaw District Council.

YAS is currently being chaired on an interim basis by Tim Gilpin, deputy chair, after Kathryn Lavery stood down late last year to join Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber FT. 

The Rotherham FT already shares a CEO with Barnsley Hospital FT, and HSJ has asked the trust if it would seek a direct replacement for Mr Havenhand, or could also share a chair with Barnsley.

Mr Havenhand said: “I am looking forward to my new role and working with our dedicated colleagues and volunteers in the service and our system partners in the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector across Yorkshire, to provide quality health services to our communities.”

YAS chief executive Rod Barnes said: “I am delighted that Martin is joining us as chair. His skills and extensive experience will be incredibly valuable to the trust and we look forward to working with him.”