Technical / Appointments - December

Amy Whittaker (pictured) has been named chief finance officer at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. She joined the trust in September, having served as director of finance at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust. Ms Whittaker succeeds Jane Hazelgrave, who is now the director of finance and investment at Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

Solent NHS Trust has appointed Nikki Burnett as chief financial officer and director of estates. Ms Burnett joined the trust in August, after working as deputy chief financial offer at NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group. She has more than 14 years’ experience working in the NHS.

James Drury has taken over as interim chief financial officer at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, having joined the trust in August. He has more than 15 years’ experience as an NHS finance director.

West London NHS Trust has appointed Manpareet Hothi Dhaliwal (pictured) as deputy director of finance. Ms Dhaliwal, who brings to the trust more than 16 years of NHS experience, took up the role in June having worked as associate director of finance and contracts. She succeeds Jo Smith, who has retired.

Helen Dempsey has been appointed director of planning at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board. Ms Dempsey joined the ICB in August, having previously worked at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group as deputy director of finance - sustainability and transformation.

Paul Ronald is the new interim director of finance and estates at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Winner of the HFMA Deputy Director of Finance Award in 2013, Mr Ronald has been working at the trust for more than 10 years.

Ken Jones (pictured) has been appointed director of delivery for solutions at internal audit provider MIAA, succeeding Keith Bowman, who has become director of solutions. Mr Jones was previously associate director of financial control and assurance at Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust. Gayle Wells also joined MIAA in November as director of operations. She moves from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, where she was strategic head of finance. She is also vice chair of the HFMA North West Branch.

A further three finance managers have taken up their first chief finance officer position. Chris Hearn is the new chief financial officer at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, moving from Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, where he was director of operational finance. Aneel Pattni has joined South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust as chief finance officer. He was previously deputy chief finance officer at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Meanwhile, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Tarryn Lake as group director of finance and digital. She was previously associate director of finance at NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group, moving to North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board in July.

Adrian Snarr joined South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in August as director of finance, estates and resources, having previously served as director of financial control at NHS England.

Day eyes frontline return

Sarah Day, senior policy manager at the HFMA, says she is excited about the prospect of moving back to frontline finance as she takes up her new role as director of operational finance at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust. The new job starts in January.

‘I’ve loved my five years at the HFMA,’ she says. ‘The association gives you such a broad perspective and contact with people working at a senior level. It has really helped my confidence.

‘I’ve spent a lot of time researching and writing about the things people are doing in the NHS – there are some really great things happening,’ she added. ‘And I’m excited about being part of that. I am particularly interested in the whole health inequalities agenda and how changing something that might seem minor can make a big difference to somebody’s life.’

Dorset Healthcare provides community and mental health services across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset and has recently announced plans to appoint a joint

chief executive and chair with acute provider Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – part of a joint leadership model.

Ms Day started her career as a structural design engineer, designing military helicopters at manufacturer Westland, but retrained as an accountant before joining the NHS. She has worked in finance in community services and at a commissioning support unit.

Her most recent role within the NHS was at NHS England, where she was senior strategic financial lead for personalised care. She remains committed to this approach to care delivery, believing it can ensure NHS resources are used in a way that has a meaningful impact on service users and patients.