Message from Sir David Nicholson KCB CBE
November 12, 2024
Dear colleagues,
Today, I am writing with a mixture of gratitude and sadness as I announce the news that Richard Beeken has tendered his resignation as Chief Executive Officer for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
After four remarkable years at the helm his tenure has been marked by exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to delivering an inspiring vision that leaves a lasting legacy for us all.
Richard has led us through a period of significant challenge and transformation, demonstrating resilience, creativity, and an extraordinary commitment. His crowning achievement has been the successful opening of our new hospital (the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital) a monumental task, completed in the face of adversity. Against the backdrop of unpredictable external challenges, he guided our team through every hurdle with determination and a clear sense of purpose.
However, Richard’s impact goes far beyond the bricks-and-mortar success of our new facility. His leadership embodies the ethos of being #MoreThanAHospital. He understood the assignment under his leadership, embracing out of hospital service transformation to expand our Trust’s role in improving the health and wellbeing of the entire community.
Richard will depart from the Trust in January 2025, having left the Trust well-positioned for continued success and growth.
Please click the video below to hear from Richard himself.
With the news of Richard’s departure, I have taken time to speak with Board members and I am clear that this represents an opportunity to take an important step forward and create greater synergy between Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (DGFT).
After thorough consideration and collaborative discussions, we have decided to move forward with the interim appointment of a single Chief Executive Officer, Ms Diane Wake, to lead both trusts.
With previous clinical and managerial leadership roles Diane brings a wealth of experience from her 40 plus years in the NHS. Her leadership across the Black Country on cancer, elective and diagnostic care and as the Senior Responsible Officer for the Black Country Provider Collaborative has seen the improvements required in a post-Covid NHS world. I am sure that she will have the ability to not only bring synergy to the way that the two Trusts work but do so in a way which drives improvements for staff working at our Trusts and those whom we serve.
Let me be clear—both SWB and DGFT will remain separate entities, each with its own unique identity, governance, and responsibilities. This is about bringing our leadership closer together to unlock the potential for deeper collaboration and greater efficiency, not about combining the two organisations into one. By having one CEO, we are creating a synergy that will allow us to better align our strategies and share best practices, while still maintaining the distinctiveness of each Trust.
This unified leadership will allow us to focus our collective energy on what truly matters: improving outcomes for our patients and communities.
I am sure many will want to share their thanks and good wishes with Richard and to help collect all these messages there is a dedicated form on the SWB website for you to submit your thoughts. Please do so as they will be a permanent record to remind Richard of his time at the Trust. Please submit your comments here: https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/rb/.
With best wishes
Sir David Nicholson, Chairman