Chair,

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 12,000 staff are responsible for delivering services to a population of approximately a million people living locally.

At ESNEFT we provide hospital and community health care services for Colchester, Ipswich and local areas. Formed on 1 July 2018, ESNEFT is the largest NHS organisation in East Anglia.
We provide services from Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, Aldeburgh, Clacton, Halstead, Harwich and Felixstowe community hospitals and Bluebird Lodge near Ipswich. We also provide community services in Suffolk and north Essex. Colchester and Ipswich hospitals have major Emergency Departments (A&E). Other services are listed in our A-Z services.
Our mission
To continue to meet the principles of the NHS identified in 1948, that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of ability to pay.
Our vision
Our vision is to provide the communities we serve with excellent healthcare and build a better future for east Suffolk and north Essex.
Our aims
Our aims are to see patients at the right time, attract and retain the best staff, and provide the latest services locally.
Our ambition
Our ambition is to provide the best care and experience, and to increase equality in health outcomes.
Our objectives
Our objectives remain to:
1. Keep people in control of their health
2. Lead the integration of care
3. Develop our centres of excellence
4. Support and develop our staff
5. Drive technology enabled care
We are looking for an exceptional leader to Chair East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT). This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of local health services by sharing your talents and expertise to help transform our hospitals and services and make a positive difference to your community.
We are looking for candidates who have experience of leading at Board level in large and complex organisations and who have, or are willing to develop, a deep understanding of the NHS and the wider health and social care sector. You should have a strong track record of building relationships with a range of stakeholders across organisations and communities and have a reputation for your ambassadorial and diplomatic approach.
Our future must be shaped around our people and supported by inclusive leadership and robust governance. It is imperative that we seek out those leaders who embody our values and commit wholeheartedly to supporting our staff to achieve our priorities. We want someone who will be deeply committed to improving patient outcomes, who is empathetic and kind, and who will listen and hear our staff and communities.
To carry out their role effectively, the Chair must cultivate a strong, collaborative relationship with the Chief Executive and the Council of Governors, which they will also lead. Many responsibilities in this role description will be discharged in partnership with the Chief Executive. It is important the Chair and the Chief Executive are clear about their individual and shared roles, and their respective responsibilities towards the unitary board.
The Chair will lead our unitary board which plays a key role in shaping our strategy, vision and purpose, in holding the organisation to account for the delivery of our strategy, and in ensuring value for money and managing risk. Working alongside Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors you will play a critical role in the leadership and governance of ESNEFT, shaping culture, and promoting the success of the Trust for the benefit of our patients and the communities we serve.
We are a large and complex Trust and require a Chair who can commit to an average 12 days per month, with a need to be flexible and available when required and will be a mixture of in person and virtual. The role will comprise a mixture of set commitments (such as regular meetings of the Board of Directors, committees) and more flexible arrangements for ad hoc events, reading and preparation. Flexibility and responsiveness will be required, and some time commitment will be during the working day/evenings and weekends.
Given the significant public profile and responsibility members of NHS Boards hold, it is vital that those appointed inspire the confidence of the public, patients and NHS staff at all times. NHS England requires Trusts to undertake a number of background checks to ensure that those we appoint are “fit and proper” people to hold these important roles.
You will work alongside seven other Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and seven voting Executive Directors (EDs) as an equal member of a unitary board of directors, accountable to the Council of Governors and to NHS England. The board is also supported by two Associate NEDs.
You will share responsibility with fellow directors for the strategic leadership, direction, governance and overall success of the organisation in delivering healthcare and improving the health of local people. You will bring independence, objective judgement and constructive challenge to bear on issues of strategy, performance and resources.
The Chair has a unique role in leading the NHS trust board. The role combines the duty to lead effective governance, consistent with the Nolan principles and NHS values, with securing a long-term vision and strategy for the organisation.
Fundamentally, the Chair is responsible for the effective leadership of the board. They are pivotal in creating the conditions necessary for overall board and individual director effectiveness. Central to the Chair’s role are the six NHS leadership competency domains
Please click here to review and download this document
All applications must include:
• A full curriculum vitae/resume
• Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040560
• 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 David Heaton, Principal Researcher on +447842 003 200
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: 22nd May 2025
Stakeholder session: TBC
Final Interviews: w/c 23rd June 2025 - TBC
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.