Respected CEO appointed new health leader for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin 

Mark Brandreth

Respected Chief Executive Mark Brandreth has been appointed to lead the development of integrated health services in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin (STW).

The experienced leader has come through a “rigorous and competitive” recruitment process to be named Interim Accountable Officer for the STW Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Alongside that post, he will continue as Executive Lead for the STW Integrated Care System (ICS). 

He will take up the joint role on Monday 2 August, at which point he will step down as Chief Executive of The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) – a role he has held for the last five years. 

Mark has built a solid reputation for his work at RJAH – taking a Trust that was in breach of its licence with its regulator when he took over and rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission to one which is now rated ‘Good’ overall and ‘Outstanding’ for care. The Trust has also consistently received excellent feedback via the NHS Staff Survey and Adult Inpatient Survey during this period which is amongst the very best in the NHS. 

He also played a key role in the NHS response to the coronavirus pandemic, taking some time away from Shropshire last year to lead a number of national projects including the Nightingale Hospital programme. 

“I am delighted to have been appointed to this joint role leading the ICS and the CCG here in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin,” said Mark. 

“Working closely with colleagues in recent months, I have seen the passion and the desire to do things differently so that we can improve health outcomes and health inequalities for all of our population. 

“I look forward to working with our outstanding teams to ensure we deliver world class health and care services for everyone within our borders. 

“It has been a great honour to be the Chief Executive of RJAH and it is not an easy decision to move on. I am very proud of what the staff have achieved over my time here – I am very proud of the care we provide to patients.” 

Sir Neil McKay, Independent Chair of the STW ICS, said: “Mark has been appointed following a rigorous and competitive recruitment process, where he showed himself to be the outstanding candidate.  

“He is an experienced and inclusive leader who knows our system inside out – both its strengths and its challenges. I am delighted that he will be at the helm to guide us through these critical few months ahead as we move towards the ICS becoming a new statutory body from April 2022.” 

Dr John Pepper, Chair of the STW CCG, said: “Over the next few months we have a fantastic opportunity to make significant strides in giving our communities the services they deserve and need. I am sure we have the right person at the helm to realise this opportunity.” 

RJAH is immediately beginning the process of recruiting a new Chief Executive. Its Chief Nurse, Stacey Keegan, will serve as Acting Chief Executive when Mark leaves. 

Frank Collins, Chair of RJAH, said: “I must also offer my congratulations to Mark, who deserves this opportunity.  

“He has been at RJAH for over five years now, and, as we all know, has made a huge impact in that time - both at RJAH and, more recently, in the development of our ICS. His new role is a natural extension of that work. 

“Recruitment of a successor begins immediately, and I am happy to appoint Stacey Keegan in the interim as acting CEO. It will be the second time that Stacey has assumed this position, having led the organisation in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic last year while Mark took up a national position to help shape the NHS response. 

“She did a terrific job then and I am delighted that she has agreed to take on the acting CEO role again. I know that we are in safe hands.”