It is with very mixed emotions that I am writing to let you all know that I will soon be leaving UHMBT. I’m pleased to share that I have been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) but it is also sad as it means my time at Morecambe Bay is coming to an end.
I have spent 11 challenging but happy years here since joining the Trust in 2014 as the Director of Finance. This is the longest I have ever spent in one place in my whole career - partly because I wanted to support teams to improve our services but mostly, it is because of the people. I have worked in lots of different NHS organisations, including those in big cities and those with significant challenges, but I have never worked with teams like we have here.
We have been through some real challenges over the last 11 years, including the Morecambe Bay Investigation, safety issues in some of our clinical services, and being placed in SOF 4 and the Recovery Support Programme (RSP). Fast forward a few years and we have exited the RSP; are consistently one of the best trusts in the country for access to diagnostics, elective care and emergency care; and have a plan to financially breakeven this year.
That is nothing short of phenomenal and you should all be very proud of yourselves - I know I am. That doesn’t mean things are perfect or that there isn’t still work to do but I know that you will continue to do what needs to be done to improve long after I’m gone.
I will be leaving UHMBT at the end of October 2025 and interim arrangements and timings for the permanent recruitment to the post of CEO will be communicated in due course and further updates will be shared when confirmed.
I hope that I will get to see as many of you as possible before I leave, but if not - and I will never tire of saying this - thank you to each and every one of you.
Aaron Cummins
Chief Executive
On behalf of the Trust Board, I would like to thank Aaron for all he has done at the Trust over the last 11 years. His leadership and tenacity to get things right has supported and empowered our teams to make significant improvements to the care we offer to local communities, and I know that working with you all to make these changes has meant a lot to him.
Aaron’s professionalism, integrity, passion for the NHS (and Morecambe Bay in particular) and his ‘open door’ approach to engaging with colleagues and partners will be very much missed but I am pleased that he won’t be going far and will still be working within Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Recruitment for a permanent Chief Executive will begin in due course and we’ll share further updates when we know more.
I know you will all join me in wishing Aaron all the best for his new role.
Andrew Stephenson CBE
Chair