Interim chairman of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust is appointed to permanent position

NHS Improvement has confirmed the appointment of Elaine Baylis as chairman of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mrs Baylis has been interim chairman since January 2018, but she has now been made permanent chairman of the Trust until December 31, 2021, continuing to be paid £40,000 a year for the role.

She also continues in her role as chairman of Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, running alongside her role at ULHT.

She has over 30 years’ experience working in the public sector in Lincolnshire. With a background in policing, her career in the force culminated in the role of assistant chief constable with accountability for service delivery.

Said to be an experienced strategic commander with particular interest in responding to emergencies, in 2005 Mrs Baylis was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

She was previously a director and trustee of Urban Challenge Lincoln, an organisation that delivers a range of services to the community and voluntary sector, and since 2005 has held a similar post at Lincolnshire Action Trust, an organisation that aims to improve the skills and employability of offenders and prisoners.

She was also the independent chairman of the Lincolnshire Adults Safeguarding Board from 2012 to 2016 and has been chairman of LCHS since April 2015.

Mrs Baylis is currently chairman of the Lincolnshire Co-ordinating Board, which includes chief executives and chairmen of NHS organisations in the county and provides oversight of the local health and care system, as well as the implementation of Lincolnshire’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP).

Mrs Baylis said she is delighted that she will be able to continue her work with the Trust, providing continuity of management for staff, stakeholders and the public of Lincolnshire.

The Trust has been in financial and clinical special measures since receiving critical inspections by the Care Quality Commission, although clinically it had been upgraded from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

“I have enjoyed the last year as chairman of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and in spite of the many challenges faced by the Trust I believe that we can continue to build upon the improvements that are being made. I have met some very dedicated and caring members of staff and volunteers and also gained an insight into the experience of patients. I am looking forward to working closely with the Board to take further quality and safety improvements forward, and to maintain our focus on delivering excellence in rural healthcare to the people of Lincolnshire.”

NHS Improvement ensures that all appointments to NHS trust boards throughout England are made in a way that is open, transparent and fair to candidates.