Top health chief to take on new trust role

A top Midland health chief will take over the leadership of the trust which runs Kidderminster Hospital after winning the support of board members, it was announced today.

Penny Venables, former chief operating officer at the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, is currently chief executive at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham.

She will take over as chief executive at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and the Royal Worcestershire Hospital, in January.

"I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed in this role," she said.

"The safety and quality of the services provided from the county's three acute hospitals are very important to me as I have family within the county who use the services at each of the sites.

"It is a very challenging but exciting time to be joining the trust.

"I am looking forward to meeting and working with colleagues both within the trust and across Worcestershire to develop services for the benefit of patients."

Over the past 10 years, Mrs Venables has also worked as director of operations at Birmingham Women's Healthcare NHS Trust.

During her time at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, she helped the trust gain foundation trust status. Chairman of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals trust, Harry Turner, said Mrs Venables had impressed the panel with her determined focus on patient safety and experience.

"Our top priority was to find an inspirational leader who will take the trust successfully into the future whilst ensuring the safest and highest quality services for our patients," Mr Turner added.

"The challenges facing the NHS locally and nationally are significant but I am confident that Penny will bring a new level of leadership to the Alexandra, Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals and enable us to move forward."