Retiring Dudley NHS chief leaving at the end of the year

Paul Assinder has been in charge since April 2020 and oversaw the formation of the new trust and its expansion over the last two years to be first of its kind in the country by integrating primary care with community physical and mental health services.

Penny Harris will be the new interim chief executive from January until June whilst the trust recruit a new permanent boss.

Trust chair Harry Turner said: “Paul has done a tremendous job leading the organisation as chief executive for the past 20 months, including the pandemic and all that entails.

"The board and his colleagues are deeply grateful to Paul for his leadership at DIHC and for his significant number of years of dedicated service to the NHS."

Paul, who worked for 38 years in the NHS, praised the colleagues he is leaving behind as he heads into retirement.

He said: "It has been an absolute privilege to work for the NHS for 38 years and more recently to serve as Chief Executive at DIHC. For me, healthcare is a people business and I have worked with some outstanding colleagues over the years who are committed to providing the best care possible to the communities they serve.

"I have always supported the ethos of working across organisations and systems to organise care around the individual. This is integral to our vision for integrated care in Dudley and am proud of what we have achieved so far at DIHC. I look forward to following the completion of DIHC’s journey in the near future."

The retiring chief executive added: ‘We are delighted that Penny has agreed to join us at this exciting time, to offer us her valuable experience to take us into our next development phase."

Penny Harris, who has held a variety of senior positions in the NHS, said: "I'm really looking forward to working with colleagues to develop the services for the population of Dudley and continue to build a strong primary and community care system. DIHC is a truly unique type of Trust, and I am excited to be a part of it."