New Chief Executive appointed for community care and mental health Trust

Tracy Dowling has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT).

Tracy joins the community care and mental health provider from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group where she is Chief Officer.

She will be taking over from Aidan Thomas who announced his retirement from the NHS in February.

Tracy said: “It is an absolute privilege to become the new Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

“The Trust is hugely admired for the services it runs and how it works so closely with partners in the area. The staff have faced many challenges and changes in recent years, but they are passionate and innovative and always have the care of patients at the very heart of everything they do.

“I am confident I can continue the legacy being left by Aidan and also use my own experience to help the Trust to continue to improve the services it provides.”

Julie Spence, Chair of CPFT, said: “We are delighted to appoint Tracy as the new Chief Executive of CPFT. She was the outstanding candidate in a high-calibre field.

“Her background and experience make her the right choice to take our Trust forward.

“She has a proven track-record of developing clear strategies for improving services by working in partnership with patients, carers, partners and stakeholders.

“Her knowledge and her commitment to collaborative leadership makes her the exactly the right choice for CPFT.”

Tracy has more than 30 years’ experience with the NHS including 12 years at boardroom level. Before joining the Cambridge and Peterborough CCG, she was previously Director of Operations and Delivery with NHS England, working in the East Anglia Area Team and establishing systems of assurance for clinical commissioning.

Prior to that, she was Director of Strategic Commissioning with NHS Suffolk for four years, both with the Primary Care Trust and subsequent CCGs.

She is expected to take up her new role later this summer. Aidan Thomas, who is retiring from the NHS after 35 years including 17 years as a CEO, will continue as Chief Executive until then.