The Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has appointed Dominic Hardisty as its new Chief Executive, ahead of the upcoming retirement of Dr Hayley Richards.
Dominic is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
He will take up his role at AWP in August 2019, replacing Dr Hayley Richards, who announced her plans to retire in January and will be leaving the Trust at the end of May.
Simon Truelove will fill the role of Acting Chief Executive until Dominic arrives.
Dominic brings with him 20 years as a leader, with the last 10 in the NHS, where he has worked across acute and community trusts.
He has led teams to transform services across acute, community, mental health and children’s/young people’s pathways, as well as leading on responses to CQC inspections and formation of partnerships across primary, acute, community and social care.
The Chair of AWP, Charlotte Hitchings, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be appointing Dominic.
“He brings a wealth of relevant experience, both in mental health and strategic and operational management. Dominic made a great impression on the more than 50 staff, service users, carers and other stakeholders involved in the assessment and interview process.”
Dominic said: “I am thrilled to be appointed Chief Executive of AWP. There are great things going on in the Trust and I look forward to joining and working with staff and stakeholders to ensure we build on current good work and continue to do our very best for service users, their families and carers, as well as for our staff to make AWP outstanding.”
Charlotte added: “I am excited about Dominic’s aspirations for the Trust and we are all very much looking forward to working with him as we continue on our drive for continuous quality improvement across our services for the benefit of the people we serve.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Hayley Richards once again for her commitment, passion and hard work throughout her long career with the NHS and to wish her well in her retirement.”
Dominic holds a degree from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School and is currently training to be a Health Care Assistant (HCA).