New chair appointed at ‘requires improvement’ trust

A new chair has been appointed to an ambulance trust that had its overall CQC rating downgraded to “requires improvement” last year due to concerns over its care and leadership.

North East Ambulance Service has hired Professor Stuart Corbridge, the former vice chancellor and warden at Durham University, to take on the role from 22 November.

He replaces Peter Strachan, who leaves after six years in the role.

Professor Corbridge said it was a “great privilege” and chief executive Helen Ray added: “Stuart’s wealth of experience will support our board in helping to shape and deliver our next five-year strategy and future thinking.”

She paid tribute to Mr Strachan, who the trust said had steered it through some of its “most challenging times of recent years,” including the pandemic.

Professor Stuart has held several senior leadership roles throughout his career, also previously holding the position of provost and deputy director at London School of Economics and Political Science.

He was also previously board member of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, BALTIC Trust, Stray Aid, board member and director of The Russell Group and honorary president of Durham Women’s Football Club.

He is currently a governor and senior independent adviser at Derwentside College, honorary president of the North East Prison Aftercare Society, and a member of the international advisory board for Chandigarh University in India.

NEAS had its overall CQC rating downgraded from “good” to “requires improvement” in a damning report published in February last year.

The watchdog conducted an announced inspection of the trust in September 2022, finding that patients were potentially put at risk because ambulance crews frequently responded to emergencies without access to life-saving drugs.

As a result, the trust’s CQC rating for emergency and urgent care fell from “good” to “inadequate”. The CQC report also criticised the trust’s leadership, saying it lacked effective systems to receive — and act on — feedback from workers.

NEAS, responding to the report, said it came under “unprecedented” pressure in the previous 12 months and was “committed” to making improvements.

The trust’s emergency and urgent care has since been upgraded from ‘inadequate’ to good but and as of 7 July last year its overall rating remained at ‘requires improvement’.