University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Matt Simpson

Hunter was engaged by University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust (UCLH) in 2020 to support the Trust Board with the appointment of their Medical Director. The person was to play a visible role within UCLH’s senior management team and lead the directorate for one of the nation’s largest Trusts.

This was a challenging brief for many reasons. UCLH is a very large, complex, and prestigious organisation. The Specialist Hospitals Board was responsible for £500m of services and, like the ISM CEO role, the portfolio included an eclectic mix of services from Eastman Dental Hospital through to the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital. The role, though called Medical Director, is in effect accountable as the CEO for the services.

We recognised that given the size, scale and complexity of the role, there would be very few people who would be both interested and suitable. We presented a very strong and diverse shortlist of five Medical Directors from:

• A Shelford Group Hospital
• A large London Teaching Trust
• Three medium-sized Trusts inside and outside London

Two of the shortlist identified as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic.

The successful candidate was appointed in the first round of interviews and continues to provide an exceptional service for UCLH today.