Non Executive
Recruitment

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. 

We provide integrated inpatient and community mental health, physical health, learning disability, specialist and social care services to a wide and diverse demographic across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough under the newly launched ICS. We support a population of just under a million people, employ nearly 4,500 staff across more than 50 locations and we are committed to providing high quality care with compassion.

Nearly every organisation will have referred to these unprecedented times that we find ourselves in.  In 2021-22, CPFT saw a surge in activity as mental health, learning disability and community services felt the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.  From an operational perspective the pandemic required the Trust to change the way in which services were delivered to protect staff and service users; and many of these service transformations have remained, either out of necessity or as they are now considered best practice – transformation which has only added to ongoing operational pressures, regulatory oversight, system integration ambitions, and service user and carer expectations. Furthermore, the pandemic has starkly accentuated pre-existing health inequalities. The area served by CPFT is an incredibly diverse one, and with an ageing population and significant inequalities highlighted pre pandemic the challenges of meeting the heightened needs of these populations whilst navigating wider challenges such as the increased pressure on finance will require robust, compassionate leadership.  

As we move on from the immediate pressures placed on services and staff by the pandemic, the Trust, like so many others, must look ahead to the future and the opportunities and challenges of the constantly evolving context within which it operates. Whilst the government increased funding significantly over the past three years as services dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic, this exceptional funding is now being reduced and as such there is a growing imperative to deliver efficiencies and develop a culture within which finance is considered everyone’s business.  Furthermore we must navigate the emerging structures associated with greater integration across health and social care – a concept which has the potential to greatly improve patient experience and which will require us to balance our position within the system effectively between that of willing partner and vocal advocate for those who access our services. 

As we move forward in this context, support to our patients and staff is more important than ever. We understand the importance of developing a leadership structure and governance which is able to both respond to immediate priorities; and look further ahead in a way which encourages impactful change, improvement and innovation. 

We are now seeking to appoint two further individuals to our Board.  We are specifically seeking a Non Executive Director able to apply their clinical expertise and track record of making a positive impact at a community level to provide oversight and constructive challenge both around our board table and within the system we operate to support delivery of improved health outcomes of those we serve.  Furthermore we are seeking an Associate Non Executive Director with a track record of providing leadership to the planning and delivery of complex capital or infrastructure projects within multi stakeholder contexts. This newly created role comes as a time of exciting development for CPFT and we are seeking an individual able to offer scrutiny and support to a multitude of new developments and projects including the Cambridge Children’s Hospital development of which CPFT is a partner alongside Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge.

These are key appointments that come at a pivotal point in our Trust’s improvement journey – we are seeking exceptional individuals, committed to championing better outcomes for the communities we serve and providing independent challenge and a diversity of thought to the board.  Above all else, we are seeking to appoint individuals to our Board who are aligned to our values, committed to our people and ambitious for our future.  Individuals able to motivate and empower our people by demonstrating a true commitment to enabling change and taking the Trust forward as a lead partner within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICS.

We truly hope that, after reading the information on this site, you are inspired to join us and contribute to our successful journey from ‘Good’ to ‘Outstanding’. We look forward to hearing from you

Eileen Milner
Chair