Our Board
The Board of Directors is responsible to its regulator, NHS England, for all aspects of the Trust’s work, including maintaining standards, achieving targets set by the Government (e.g. waiting time targets) and achieving financial balance.
Niall Dickson, CBE, Chair
Position
East Kent Hospitals Trust Chair.
Responsibilities
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Chair of the Board of Directors
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Chair of the Council of Governors
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Member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee.
History with the Trust
Niall joined the Trust on 5 April 2021.
Professional background
Niall was the Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation until October 2020, and was previously Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Medical Council and Chief Executive of the health thinktank, The King’s Fund.
A Scot educated at Edinburgh University, Niall worked for Age Concern England and then moved into journalism. He was editor of Nursing Times in the 1980s and later became a familiar face and voice on BBC television and radio news, where he worked for 16 years culminating as Social Affairs Editor.
He has held international roles, serving as Chair of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities and on the governing council of the International Hospitals Federation.
He is an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Queens Nursing Institute. He was awarded a CBE in the birthday honours for services to patient safety.
Other current activities
Niall is the Chairman of the Leeds Castle Foundation, the charity responsible for the castle and its estate, Kent’s major visitor attraction.
Tracey Fletcher, Chief Executive
Position
Chief Executive.
History with the Trust
Tracey started at the Trust as the CEO on 4 April 2022.
Professional background
Tracey joined East Kent Hospitals from Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust where she had been the Chief Executive since 2013, having previously been the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer in 2010.
Dr Rebecca Martin, Outgoing Chief Medical Officer
Position
Chief Medical Officer.
History with the Trust
Dr Rebecca Martin joined East Kent Hospitals as Chief Medical Officer on 18 February 2020, from Mid Essex Hospitals where she was the Deputy Medical Director and Responsible Officer.
Responsibilities
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Joint executive lead for Clinical Quality and Patient Safety
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Responsible Officer
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Clinical strategy
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Professional Leadership to medical staff
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Senior Responsible Officer for We Care Quality Improvement Operational Management System
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Corporate Licence Holder for HTA licence
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Medical education
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Research and Innovation
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Clinical responsibility for IT programme
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Clinical effectiveness
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Executive Lead Learning from Deaths.
Professional background
Rebecca graduated from the University of Nottingham and completed her specialist training at the Nottingham and East Midlands School of Anaesthesia.
Rebecca was Consultant in Burns Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Mid Essex Hospitals, Chelmsford in 2003.
She was the Clinical Lead for Burns ITU and a member of the Executive Committee of the British Burn Association, the National Organiser and Course Director for the ‘Emergency Management of Severe Burns’ course and a member of the Clinical Reference Group for Burns.
During this time she supported revision of National Burn Care Standards and was a panel member for the Confidential Enquiry into Major Burns in Children.
She was appointed and served for six years as Royal College of Anaesthetists Tutor.
Jane Dickson Interim Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer
Position
Interim Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer
History with the Trust
Jane Dickson joined the Trust as Interim Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, she was previously Chief Nurse at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust for 8 years.