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Board of Directors

The role of the Board

  • Sets the overall strategic direction of the Trust, within the context of NHS priorities.
  • Monitors our performance against objectives.
  • Provides effective financial stewardship through value for money, financial control and financial planning.
  • Through clinical governance, ensures that we provide high quality, effective and patient-focused services.
  • Ensures high standards of corporate governance and personal conduct.
  • Promotes effective dialogue with the local communities we serve.
  • Monitors our financial, as well as operational performance each month.

Our executive directors

  • Dr Ian Abbs, Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer

    Ian AbbsIan became Chief Executive in July 2019.

    He was appointed Medical Director in January 2011 and Chief Medical Officer in January 2017.

    He joined the Trust as a consultant renal physician and honorary senior lecturer at King’s College London in 1994 and has had a distinguished clinical and academic career, which has included a broad range of senior management positions.

    In addition to his clinical work, Ian has played a key role in the development of the Trust’s life science partnerships, and is responsible for many aspects of the Trust’s significant digital transformation agenda.

  • Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse and Vice President of the Florence Nightingale Foundation

    Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse and Vice President of the Florence Nightingale FoundationAvey Bhatia joined as our Chief Nurse and Vice President of the Florence Nightingale Foundation in November 2020.

    She returned to the Trust having trained as a critical care nurse at St Thomas' in the early part of her career. Her clinical experience includes theatres, general intensive care, coronary care and cardiothoracic nursing. Avey holds a postgraduate diploma in health services management and a Masters in public administration.

    Avey qualified in 1991, having trained at Maidstone Hospital in Kent. She has held various staff nurse and sister posts at hospitals in London including St George's, where she moved into management, eventually becoming a divisional director of nursing.

    In 2011, she was appointed Deputy Chief Nurse at South London Healthcare Trust and became chief nurse at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust in 2013. She started as Chief Nurse and Director of Infection Prevention and Control at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in February 2017 and from February 2020 had been carrying out the role of Chief Operating Officer, helping to lead St George's response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • Jon Findlay, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive

    Jon Findlay was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in January 2017. In addition to his role as Chief Operating Officer, he is also appointed Deputy Chief Executive in January 2020.

    Previously Jon was Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, an executive director role he held since January 2014.

    Before working at Southend, he was Director of Operations at Guy’s and St Thomas’ where he was responsible for operational performance and the strategic development of clinical services across the two hospital sites. 

    He has many years’ experience working in director level in roles that have spanned clinical operations, service modernisation, performance improvement, human resources and workforce planning.

  • Jackie Parrott, Chief Strategy Officer

    Jackie Parrott, Chief Strategy OfficerJackie Parrot was made Chief Strategy Officer in April 2019.

    Jackie has over 32 years NHS experience having started her career as a management trainee in south east London. Having managed surgical services and some medical specialties she joined Guy’s and Lewisham Trust in 1991 as a general manager for women’s services at Guy’s Hospital. When Guy’s and St Thomas’ was formed she then moved on to manage a wide range of specialist services including cancer, medical physics, haemophilia/haematology, cardiothoracic and renal services. 

    Her career has spanned both operational and strategic management with a number of policy, planning and partnership roles held from 2000 and as part of a job share from 2002. In 2010 she became Joint Director of Strategy and then Director of Strategy since 2013.

  • Julie Screaton, Chief People Officer

    Julie ScreatonJulie Screaton was appointed as Director of Workforce and Organisational Development in June 2017 and made Chief People Officer in 2018.

    Julie has wide ranging experience of leading workforce and organisational development teams in the NHS, having worked at regional and trust level.

    In her previous position, as Regional Director, London and the South East for Health Education England, Julie was responsible for £1.4 billion of investment in education, training and workforce development across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Her role included providing support to eight Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

  • Martin Shaw, Chief Financial Officer 

    Martin ShawMartin Shaw joined the NHS in 1981. He joined West Lambeth Health Authority in 1983, where he held a variety of posts and was Deputy Director of Finance until 1993 when he joined Guy's and St Thomas' as Business and Financial Planning Manager, before becoming Strategy Director and Projects Director. He was appointed Finance Director of the Trust in 1998 and made Chief Financial Officer in 2017.

    Martin is also a director of Collaborative Procurement Partnership, a key part of the NHS Supply Chain that is owned by four NHS trusts, including Guy's and St Thomas'. The surpluses generated by the partnership are used to fund health services in the area.

  • Dr Simon Steddon, Medical Director

    Simon Steddon, Medical DirectorSimon is a graduate of King's College London and joined the Trust as a consultant renal physician in 2005.

    Simon has a PhD from Queen Mary University of London and an MBA from Westminster Business School. He became clinical director for renal and urological services in 2008 and joint clinical director of abdominal medicine and surgery in 2010. He served as Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2016.

    He has been our Medical Director since 2017 and became Medical Director, with full Board responsibilities in July 2019.

  • Lawrence Tallon, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

    lawrence-tallonLawrence was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive in March 2020. Prior to joining Guy’s and St Thomas' he was Director of strategy, planning and performance at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

    Lawrence has held a wide range of healthcare leadership roles, both in the UK and abroad. He also worked at the Department of Health in the offices of both the Secretary of State and the NHS Chief Executive and was previously Managing Director of the Shelford Group.