The Trust Board

The Trust Board is the statutory authority, which sets the overall strategy for the Trust and monitors performance. The Trust has eight Non-Executive Directors, including the Chairman, and six Executive Directors. Non-Executive Directors bring an independent view to the decision making process of the Board.

Cara Charles-Barks - Chief Executive

Cara joined as the new Joint Chief Executive at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals, and Royal United Hospitals Bath and became the Accountable Officer on 1st November 2024 at each of the three Trusts.

Cara will be well known to many people in Salisbury and South Wiltshire as she served as our CEO from 2017 to 2020. Cara is an experienced and empathetic leader who has a reputation for creating a culture whereby staff and patients have an exceptional experience.

She is strongly focused on compassionate leadership and committed to creating an environment whereby people can thrive and be their authentic selves. She has been executive lead for the Acute Hospital Alliance since 2021 and is best placed to lead the three Trusts as they work together even more closely.

Cara qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1990 in Australia. She works hard to build relationships and to communicate effectively with diverse health and social care professionals; and develop and motivate large teams to deliver the best care possible for the people within her organisation and at system level.

Cara has been named as one of the NHS's top 50 Chief Executives four times - in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 - and in June 2019 she was awarded an MBE as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours for inspirational and outstanding leadership. This was in recognition of her leadership of Salisbury Foundation Trust during the Novichok incident. Also in June 2019, she was appointed Honorary Colonel of 243 (Wessex) Field Hospital, part of the Army Reserve Medical Services.

Lisa Thomas - Interim Managing Director

Lisa joined the Trust in September 2017 as Chief Finance Officer before being appointed as Chief Operating Officer in August 2022 and Interim Chief Executive Officer in January 2024.

With the recent appointment of a Joint CEO across Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT), Great Western Hospitals, and Royal United Hospitals Bath, Lisa is responsible for the day-to-day leadership at SFT, working alongside the executive team as Interim Managing Director from 1^st November 2024.

Lisa has over twenty-five years’ experience of working in the NHS working across hospitals in Bath, Hampshire and Gloucestershire. Lisa is passionate about improving healthcare and has been involved throughout her career in service and patient care improvement projects. She is also enthusiastic about recognising the challenges of delivering healthcare for a rural population.

Duncan Murray - Chief Medical Officer

Duncan has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years after medical training in Cape Town. He joined SFT in January 2000 as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, having completed specialist training in the Oxford region, with additional experience in Sydney.

He has held a number of medical leadership roles in the organisation over the last 16 years at service and divisional level, most recently as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Associate Medical Director for the BSW Acute Hospital Alliance.

Duncan was appointed as interim Chief Medical Officer in August 2024, and to the substantive position in October 2024.

Judy Dyos - Chief Nursing Officer

Judy joined the Trust in 2020 from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust where she was formerly Deputy Director of Nursing. Prior to that she was the Lead for Clinical Assurance and Quality Governance at Southampton University Hospital.

Judy’s extensive nursing background has been predominantly based in Intensive care at Southampton University Hospitals and Guys and St Thomas’, she holds an MSc in Advanced Critical Care Practice and a post Graduate Certificate in Research from Kings College London.

Judy completed an internship with the National Institute in Research, undertaking primary research related to critical care. She also worked at the University of Southampton for 2 years as a visiting lecturer in the Faculty Heath Science, tutoring under and post graduate student nurses.

She is focused on continuous quality improvement to ensure the best possible care is provided to the people that use our services.

Mark Ellis - Chief Finance Officer

Mark has worked in the Trust as Deputy Chief Finance Officer was appointed as Chief Finance Officer in August 2022, responsible for the Trust’s Finance, Payroll, and Procurement departments. Mark has over 18 years’ NHS finance experience, working in senior finance positions at a number of NHS Trusts across Hampshire and Berkshire until joining the Trust in late 2017. Mark has an undergraduate masters degree in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford and obtained Chartered Management Accountant status as part of the NHS Graduate Training Scheme.

Niall Prosser - Interim Chief Operating Officer

Niall was appointed as Interim Chief Operating Officer in January 2024.

Melanie Whitfield - Chief People Officer

Melanie is an accomplished HR leader and coach with many years of experience leading on significant programmes of change and people strategy in both the private and public sector.

With many years of organisational HR experience, including Board level experience within Private Equity and Public and Charity sectors, Melanie joined the national team at NHS England and Improvement as one of the founding authors of the NHS People Plan. She "got the bug" for health some 6 years ago and has worked in both the community and acute setting alongside the Department of Health and National Regulator.

Melanie began her career in retail working for some of the best known brands on the high street including The John Lewis Partnership , Sainsbury's and Boots. She has continued both her formal academic studies and professional development and has a particular interest in the value and impact of team coaching. In joining the Trust Melanie expressed her wish to support all staff to be the best they could be, by helping create the kind of environment where everyone can thrive and in doing so, provide the best possible care to the community we serve.

Within SFT's executive team, she is the responsible leader for our Operational HR Services, Resourcing, Organisation design and Development, Education and Communication strategies alongside our Health and Safety and Occupational Health services. Outside of work she has a very understanding husband, two adult children who keep returning from university and always with their washing! Swimming at our Odstock health and fitness centre, yoga and rowing.

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