University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex) Chair Alan McCarthy has confirmed his retirement in June 2024 after completing his second term of office.
Alan was appointed Chair of Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2018 and took on the same role when the organisations merged to form UHSussex in April 2021.
He said of his retirement: “The time is right for a new person to chair the Board through the next stage of our journey, and I wanted to make my decision known now so the Trust and NHS England can begin the process of recruiting my successor. It will also give me time to properly thank everyone at UHSussex for the dedication to patient care I have witnessed over the last five years.
“That commitment was clear literally from day one: my first public duty as Chair was to help recognise colleagues’ outstanding achievements at our annual staff awards ceremony. It hasn’t wavered since either; through the darkest days of the pandemic and the incredible challenges the NHS has faced in its aftermath, as well as in navigating the merger that created our Trust and beginning to unlock its huge potential to improve patient care.
“The demands and challenges facing colleagues across our Trust remain significant and we must recognise the pressures on everyone. However, with the leadership we now have in place, supported by the talent and dedication of our staff, our Trust is ready to do the very best for the people of Sussex. I’m proud to have been part of this wonderful organisation and will support it however I can in my retirement.”
UHSussex Chief Executive Dr George Findlay said: “Alan has been a great servant, not just of UHSussex but of the wider NHS and public sector too, for many, many years.
“He has been a staunch ally for the Trust and a great source of support and advice for the executive team, and especially for me as chief executive. We will miss working with him but wish him every happiness in his retirement.”
Alan (69) is a chartered civil engineer with 40 years’ experience in the public sector, including five years as Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove City Council. During his time at UHSussex, he was awarded an MBE for his service to the NHS, which also includes eight years as chair of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.