Royal Surrey Chief Executive ranked among the best in England | News

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

Louise was listed in the top 50 of 229 NHS Trust Chief Executives by judges including the Chief Executive of NHS Providers, as well as representatives from the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.

They were asked to choose the top 50 based on the performance of the chief executive over the last year, their contribution to the wider health and social care system and the performance of the organisation they lead.

In 2018, Louise was appointed as Chief Executive of Royal Surrey and prior to this she held roles as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Nursing. She was pivotal to the Trust achieving a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission in 2018 and to Royal Surrey County Hospital achieving an ‘outstanding’ rating in 2020. Louise is also a specialist advisor to the Care Quality Commission and has participated in carrying out Well-led reviews at other NHS Trusts. 

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: “This has been a great year for Royal Surrey, with recognition of our ‘outstanding’ Guildford hospital and Maternity Services, the opening of our new Same Day Emergency Care Services and breaking ground on our new Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre. I am just one part of a fantastic team, so this announcement is really the icing on the cake and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the 5,000 colleagues who make Royal Surrey the great place it is today.”

Louise began her career as a nurse and has worked in a number of London teaching hospitals with experience 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: “Working with Louise over the past year, I can absolutely see why she has been selected for this prestigious list. Her contribution to Royal Surrey but also to health and care services across the whole of the South East should not be underestimated. Congratulations Louise!”