Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust appoints experienced senior leaders to key roles in clinical groups.

Mark Cubbon, Trust Chief Executive, announced today that Stephanie Lawton has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Manchester Royal Infirmary Clinical Group and Gareth Adams has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Clinical and Scientific Services Clinical Group.

Stephanie has been Chief Operating Officer of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust since 2015. Originally joining the NHS as a medical typist in 1992, Stephanie’s subsequent director-level leadership roles have given her many years’ experience in clinical operations, service modernisation, performance improvement, human resources and workforce planning.

Stephanie said: “I am very pleased to be taking up the role of Chief Executive of the Manchester Royal Infirmary Clinical Group. We have an ambitious clinical vision, working as part of One MFT, which gives an opportunity for us to make a real impact on the health and quality of life of our diverse communities. In addition, Project RED is starting its next stage, creating a new fit-for-purpose Emergency Department and expanding our theatre capacity, which will help provide us with the facilities which our teams need to provide our patients the very best care. I am very much looking forward to being part of this journey.”

Gareth has been the Interim Chief Executive for the CSS Clinical Group, and his substantive appointment follows a competitive recruitment process.

Gareth originally joined North Manchester General Hospital as a pharmacist in 2007, moving into leadership roles from 2012. From September 2016 to February 2019, Gareth led hospital pharmacy transformation across Greater Manchester. He became Divisional Director of Pharmacy in 2019 and then, in 2021, became the Director of Operations for CSS, providing operational leadership to clinical and scientific teams through the Covid pandemic and Hive implementation. As Interim Chief Executive, Gareth has led work supporting the delivery of some of the most improved diagnostic waiting times in the country.

Gareth said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Chief Executive of the CSS Clinical Group. Having spent so much of my career working alongside the dedicated teams here, I know first-hand the vital role which CSS teams play in supporting every aspect of patient care across MFT. Our CSS teams make a real difference to patients’ lives every day, and I’m excited about the opportunities ahead to build on our successes and ensure that we continue to deliver services of the highest quality for our communities.”

Mark Cubbon commented: “I would like to congratulate both Stephanie and Gareth on their appointments, and we all look forward to working with them in their new roles.

“Their appointments complete our recruitment to the Chief Executive roles for our six Clinical Groups. This is excellent timing, ahead of the publication of the new NHS 10 Year Health Plan which will shape the future development of the service over the years ahead.

“These final appointments will help us ensure that all our Clinical Groups and corporate services are best placed to work as One MFT to provide our patients the best possible care while delivering our MFT priorities.”