Chief Executive Officer,

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

United Kingdom

Our philosophy is that time matters – we will remove or improve the things we do that cause unnecessary stress or frustration for our patients, their families and carers and our staff.

The Trust is a major integrated acute and community provider and one of the largest employers in East Anglia. Our almost 13,000 staff are responsible for delivering services to a population of approximately a million people living locally.

Thank you for your interest in the Chief Executive role at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
This is an important and influential position, and as our newly appointed Chair I am delighted you are considering joining us at such a pivotal moment in our journey.
ESNEFT is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with almost 13,000 colleagues working across our hospitals and community services. Every day our teams provide high quality, compassionate care to around one million people living in Ipswich, east Suffolk, and north Essex. We are proud of the difference we make in people's lives, and of the role we play at the heart of our communities.
We are now looking for an exceptional leader to become our new Chief Executive. This is a role that requires vision, integrity, and a deep commitment to inclusion and collaboration. As Chief Executive, you will lead our organisation and Executive team to make the best decisions for patients, staff, and the communities we serve. You will bring people together, ensuring every voice is heard, and championing a culture where diversity of thought, experience, and background is valued as a source of strength.
Your leadership will be central to helping us navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We need a Chief Executive who can inspire confidence, enable and empower our staff to deliver the highest standards of operational performance and clinical quality, and build strong relationships with our partners across the health and care system. At the same time, you will be a visible and approachable figure, working with staff, the Board, and local communities to shape a positive future for our Trust within the context of the opportunities of the 10 year Health Plan.
This role offers the chance to make a lasting and positive impact. If you share our values, believe in the power of inclusive leadership, and want to play a part in improving health and wellbeing for people across Suffolk and north Essex, then I warmly encourage you to apply.
I look forward to the opportunity to meet you during the process and to hearing the perspective and experience you could bring to ESNEFT.
Yours sincerely
Tracy Dowling
Chair
At East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) we provide healthcare to almost a million people.
We have two acute hospital sites - Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital - as well as delivering care from a number of community premises, including six community hospitals, high street clinics, surgeries and in people’s homes.
ESNEFT was formed on 1 July 2018 following the merger of two NHS trusts in Colchester and Ipswich & east Suffolk. We became the largest NHS organisations in the region, and in 2021 grew further still when we began working in collaboration with other providers to provide community services in north east Essex. We employ more than 12,000 staff.
We work closely with health and care partners across the locality and within the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System.
ESNEFT is a self-governing Foundation Trust; the Board of Directors assume management responsibility but are accountable for its stewardship to the Council of Governors and members. We have important external regulatory relationships with NHS England and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
ESNEFT provides a range of healthcare services - general and specialist medicine, general and specialist surgery, obstetric and paediatric services, cancer and diagnostic services. We also have a range of community services across the patch.
Some of our clinical services are among the largest in England - acute children’s services, oncology, trauma and orthopaedics, general surgery, urology and ophthalmology.
ESNEFT has embarked on a major digital transformation, with the launch of a new Epic Electronic Patient Record system, which has changed the way we manage and maintain patient records, instead of using multiple systems, we now use one single electronic patient record. This provides many benefits for staff, patients and the healthcare system as a whole, making it easier to access information in a timely manner.
We have opened a new £64million state-of-the-art Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic
Centre for patients who need planned surgery on bones, joints and muscles, such as hip and knee replacements. This will help to achieve fewer cancelled operations and shorter waiting times for patients in pain. Though attached to Colchester Hospital, the centre functions independently keeping surgical beds and theatres free for patients waiting for planned surgery. In addition, purpose-built x-ray and physiotherapy facilities supports patient recovery and a swift discharge.
Click here to read the complete candidate pack.
Please click here to review and download this document
All applications must include:
• A full curriculum vitae/resume
• Quoting the relevant role reference number: A041232
• A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and ESNEFT that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
• Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
• A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
*Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and ESNEFTs objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Beth Stickney, Principal Researcher on +44 7703 821 996
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Closing date: 26h February 2026
Stakeholder session: 11th March 2026
Final Interviews: 13th March 2026
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.