Trust appoints CEO after two years as interim

An ‘outstanding’ mental health trust has made its long-term interim chief executive substantive, it has announced.

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust said it had carried out a “thorough and extensive recruitment process” and Buki Adeyemo would take on the substantive role with immediate effect.

Dr Adeyemo became interim CEO two years ago and was previously medical director from 2012.

During her tenure the trust was named HSJ’s ‘Trust of the year’ in 2022, has scored highly in the NHS Staff Survey, and is rated “outstanding” by the Care Quality Commission.

Dr Adeyemo qualified as a psychiatrist in Nigeria, came to work for the NHS in 1997 and has spent most of her career in North Staffordshire. 

Trust chair David Rogers said: “Dr Adeyemo is the longest-serving member of our executive team, and her commitment to the trust is clear to see.

“[She] stepped into the interim position with ease – her strong values, leadership and experience have continued to drive the trust on our journey to become outstanding in all we do and how we do it.”

Dr Adeyemo said: “I have an ambitious vision for the future of Combined Healthcare and I am excited by the opportunities to build on the growth and innovation already taking place as we continue to serve the population of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.”

She sits on the NHS Confederation’s mental health network board, and became a consultant of old age psychiatry in 2007 at Combined Healthcare.