Long-standing Confed network chief to chair trust

NHS Confederation’s mental health network’s long-standing chief executive is leaving to chair a mental health trust.

Sean Duggan will take up the post at Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust in the spring after seven years with the membership body and will replace Peter Molyneux, who has chaired SPFT since 2018.

Mr Duggan – who started his career as a mental health nurse – joined the NHS Confederation’s mental health network in 2016, having previously been chief executive of charity the Centre for Mental Health. 

He was awarded an OBE in 2022 in recognition of his services to mental health and has held several other national roles, including offender health consultant for the Department of Health and director of health and social care for criminal justice at the London Development Centre.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust CEO Ifti Majid will continue chairing the network.

NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor said: “Sean has been a passionate advocate for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities and he has consistently made the case both for parity of esteem and for extra investment and focus on mental health when it had slipped down the national agenda.”

He added: “We will look to build on the important support that he has provided to our mental health trust and independent and third sector members in future.”

Mr Duggan said: “It is a bittersweet moment to be leaving the NHS Confederation next spring because while I am immensely proud of the progress that we have made, I can see there is so much more to be done, including around further national investment and around the much-needed reform of the Mental Health Act.

“I will look forward to continuing improving health outcomes for people and to help ensure NHS staff have every opportunity to flourish in their careers as chair of my local trust where I will succeed the excellent Peter Molyneux.”