David Roberts appointed interim Group Chair

David Roberts has been appointed as the new interim Chair of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG).

The appointment was announced today by the Lead Governors of the James Paget University Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals.

Governors also paid tribute today to the outgoing interim Chair, Mark Friend, and the three outgoing hospital Vice Chairs, Tom Spink (NNUH), Stephen Javes (JPUH) and Graham Ward (QEHKL), all of whom have made significant contributions to the work of their trusts and in support of staff.

David will assume his role later this month (October) for a one-year term, during which he will draw on his extensive local, national and international experience – including significant expertise in Board operations – to help guide and support the new Group through our next phase of development.

Announcing this appointment, on behalf of all three Governing bodies, Antonia Hardcastle, Lead Governor for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, said:

“We are delighted to have secured such a highly regarded, well respected and experienced leader to Chair our new hospitals Group through the first year of its operations. This is a critical period for the Group, requiring urgent action to turn around performance in key services and develop and refine with others an ambitious clinical strategy that will clarify and define the future role of our hospitals going forward and deliver the transformations required by the Government’s 10-year plan for the NHS.

“While welcoming David’s experience at strategic level, we noted also his deep understanding of and commitment to protecting local delivery and supporting each of our hospitals to develop even closer links with their local communities.”

David is an experienced healthcare executive with a career of more than 35 years across government, public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. His previous roles include Chief Executive of University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, Director General of Health and Human Services in Tasmania, and as a board member for the largest hospital in the Middle East, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Saudi Arabia. He also served as Global Health Industry Leader with the professional services network EY, where he oversaw healthcare strategy and advisory work across EY’s global footprint.

He has extensive board governance experience, currently holding non-executive and chair roles including Chair of the Finance Committee at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Chair of Tektology Holdings and Chair of Charkos Global and Promedex Global. His work has focused on large-scale transformation, technology and digital innovation and the integration of workforce and system reform.

David has contributed to a range of international health reform initiatives and continues to advise organisations on governance, digital strategy and system improvement. He has held academic and advisory appointments in the UK, Australia and the Middle East, and remains active in supporting leadership development and organisational change across global health systems.