Colm Donaghy is a highly experienced chief executive of 12 years. Since September 2010 he has been chief executive of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the largest healthcare provider in Northern Ireland. The Trust is responsible for the full range of community and hospital health and social care services, has an annual turnover of £1.2b and a workforce of 20,000.
John Bacon CB, chair of Sussex Partnership said: “I am very pleased we have appointed someone of Colm’s calibre. He is a highly experienced chief executive with considerable knowledge and expertise in health and social care. Like every other part of the NHS, Sussex Partnership faces many challenges, not least the increasing demand upon mental health services that we are seeing across the country. I am confident that Colm has the drive, vision and leadership to help the Trust continue to innovate and deliver high quality care to the patients and communities we serve.”
Colm Donaghy said: “Mental health affects one in four of us and is a major cause of premature death. But we clearly have a way to go to achieve parity of esteem between physical and mental health care. Having had experience of managing the full range of community and hospital health and social care services, I hope I will be able to make a significant contribution this important issue when I join Sussex Partnership in the summer. I’m excited by the new job and very much looking forward to new challenges.”
Colm Donaghy will succeed Lisa Rodrigues CBE as chief executive. Last year Lisa announced her plan to retire in summer 2014 having been chief executive of Sussex Partnership and its predecessor organisations for the last 13 years. She said: “I would like to give Colm Donaghy my warmest wishes. I may be biased, but I think he has been appointed to one of the best jobs in health care. Our patients and their families are brave, challenging and rewarding to work with. Our staff are skilled, compassionate and hard working. It will be good to move on to my new world this summer knowing that, after 13 years, I will be handing Sussex Partnership into Colm’s experienced, expert and safe hands.”
Sussex Partnership provides mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and prison healthcare throughout Sussex, along with a range of specialist services across the South East of England and beyond.
http://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/about/news/articles/849-new-ceo