Royal Surrey Chief Executive ranked among England’s best | News

Royal Surrey Chief Executive, Louise Stead, has been ranked among the best in England in the Health Service Journal’s prestigious ‘top 50’ list of pre-eminent NHS Trust leaders.

Louise was listed number 13 out of 219 NHS Trust Chief Executives by judges across the health and social care profession. They were asked to choose the top 50 based on the performance of the organisation run by the Chief Executive, their contribution to the wider healthcare system, and the personal example they set to peers and employees.

Louise, who started her career as a nurse in 1988, was appointed as Chief Executive of Royal Surrey in September 2018. Prior to this she was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Nursing, where she was pivotal to the Trust achieving a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission.

A well-known and well respected figure within the NHS across the whole South East region, Louise works closely with regional NHS partners to improve the quality of care for patients. She is Chair of the Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance, Provider Partner Member of the NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board and Chair of the Surrey Heartlands Provider Collaborative Board.

Speaking about her place in the prestigious top 50 list, Louise said: “It is an absolute honour to be recognised by such key figures within the NHS; a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the teams I work with. Royal Surrey’s staff have done their very best for our local community through the toughest of times and their fortitude and dedication to our patients has helped make our Trust what it is today – one of the top cancer centres in the country with an excellent record for patient safety.”

Louise has worked in a number of London teaching hospitals and is an experienced nurse in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, hepatobiliary and pancreatic medicine and surgery, and haematology. She has an MSc in Professional Practice (Leadership and Management) and is a visiting professor at the University of Surrey. 

Royal Surrey’s Chair, Joss Bigmore, said: “As the new Chair of Royal Surrey I am really excited to work with Louise. Not only does she have an excellent track record at Royal Surrey, but she is also integral to the running of the wider health services in our region. This is a well-deserved recognition for Louise and all of my new colleagues who have supported her throughout the years.”