Amanda Pritchard appointed chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas'

Amanda Pritchard, who is set to step down as NHS England chief in April, has been appointed as the next chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Pritchard previously led the Trust from October 2015 to August 2019 before moving to NHS England, where she later became its first female chief executive in August 2021.

The Trust confirmed her appointment on Monday (17 March) following a competitive recruitment process and approval by the Council of Governors.

She will succeed Professor Ian Abbs, who announced in January that he will stand down in 2025.

Returning to an expanded organisation following its merger with Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in 2021, Pritchard will lead one of the largest NHS Trusts in the country.

Charles Alexander, chairman of Guy’s and St Thomas’, praised Pritchard’s outstanding vision for the Trust.

He said: "We were extremely impressed by Amanda’s enthusiasm, energy and commitment to the future success of Guy’s and St Thomas’.

“She will return to a very different organisation from the one that she left 6 years ago and clearly demonstrated her vision and support for our ambitious plans, combined with the need to lead transformational change at pace.”

“We and our local healthcare and academic partners are fortunate that we will be able to benefit from the significant experience that Amanda has acquired during her time at NHS England as she returns to a role in frontline healthcare delivery.”

Expressing her pride in rejoining the Trust, Pritchard acknowledged the changes since her departure in 2019.

“It is an honour to be appointed to the role of Chief Executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’ – the organisation is now very different to the one I left in 2019 and I am delighted and proud to return to lead it,” she said.

“Guy’s and St Thomas’ is one of the country’s leading providers and I am very much looking forward to connecting with colleagues old and new as, together, we work to improve and transform the experiences of our staff and patients,” she added.

Pritchard first joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ as chief operating officer in 2012. Before that, she held several senior positions at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and worked in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.