Appointing a CEO may be the most important responsibility I carry along with the other non-executive directors (NEDs) on the board. It is not a decision I wear lightly. Our obligations to the communities we serve were at the front of our minds as we set out. As part of our commitment to transparency, I would like to share how we went about this daunting task.

A number of people, inside and outside of ELFT, asked me why we were going out to recruitment given the deep bench and awesome talent we have. We are funded with public money and have a mission to serve that public, therefore we believed it only right to launch a search conducted by an independent search firm to ensure we had the opportunity to consider talent from around the world and with a range of experiences. A campaign advertising the post was conducted through social media, traditional media, diversity organisations and NHS recruitment channels.

At the same time a survey was conducted across the Trust to give all employees the opportunity to share views. In crafting the job description and person specification we also took account of many viewpoints, including those of system partners. The trust’s treasures and values featured prominently.

During the time the position was advertised, I fielded calls with interested candidates to share insights on the operations and aspirations of the Trust and the Board. This is a very hard time to recruit to executive positions in the NHS, particularly to the position of CEO. The chief executive carries the statutory responsibility as the senior responsible officer. An awful lot falls on that person’s shoulders.

We had a large number of applications, but only one candidate met the criteria. That was determined through a process that vetted the applications against the criteria. Even then, we ran a full, open and transparent interview process.

That process included stakeholder panels consisting of staff, patients, governors and external partners. We are very grateful for the time and commitment of those who generously gave of their time to participate.

The final panel interview consisted of myself, another NED, an independent CEO of another NHS Trust, our lead governor, a service user and a representative from NHS England. We would normally have the CEO of the North East London Integrated Care Board, but she unfortunately was ill on the day.

The final steps in the process saw the Board of Directors Remuneration Committee receiving and approving the recommendation of the panel. That committee is comprised only of non-executive board members. Lastly, the recommendation was presented to the Council of Governors for approval. It is important to note that this is a non-executive appointment and what the Council approves is that we followed the Trust’s process for appointment of a CEO and that it was fair, open and transparent.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to so many of you who participated in this appointment and to those who came to speak with me to share your views.

Huge congratulations to Lorraine Sunduza, OBE CEO. I hope we do not need to do this again anytime soon.

Eileen Taylor

Chair

East London NHS Foundation Trust