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NHS regional director stepping down

Published on: 27 Sep 2022
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NHS London regional director and community health trust chief executive Andrew Ridley will step down at the end of December.

Mr Ridley has been Central London Community Healthcare Trust chief executive since 2016; he oversaw a significant expansion of services the trust provides during his tenure.

He took on the London regional director role on an interim basis in December 2021 when the incumbent Sir David Sloman became chief operating officer at NHS England.

James Benson has been filling in for Mr Ridley as CLCH interim chief executive and will continue in post until 31 December this year. Recruitment for a substantive replacement will begin “imminently”, according to a trust announcement.

Mr Ridley will continue as London director until 31 December. Recruitment is under way to replace him, an NHS London announcement said.

“I have decided to stop full time work at the end of this year to enable me to pursue other varied interests and opportunities,” he said in a statement. He is planning to travel early next year.

Mr Ridley said: “It has been an honour to be regional director for the NHS in London this year, and I have enjoyed working collaboratively across the NHS and our many partners to improve the health of Londoners.

“During my time at CLCH, the trust expanded to provide additional services across regions, and now cares for more than 2 million people. I am incredibly proud of the work that the staff do to demonstrate the vital role that community healthcare services play in the NHS and more widely.”

Previously he has worked as NHSE’s regional director for the south of England, as national policy lead on integration, North East London commissioning support unit chief, chief executive of primary care trusts in East London, in acute hospitals, and for the Terrence Higgins Trust. He was previously named as an LGBT role model by HSJ.