Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) has appointed Jonathan Coulter as its new Chief Executive following a national recruitment process.
Jonathan will succeed Steve Russell, who went on secondment to NHS England as National Director for Vaccinations and Screening in February 2022, and who accepted the permanent role at NHS England in December 2022.
Jonathan has worked in the NHS for 30 years, with over 20 years as a director. He has been the interim Chief Executive at HDFT since February 2022.
Jonathan, who was appointed Finance Director at HDFT in March 2006 and became Deputy Chief Executive in 2010, has contributed significantly to the success of the organisation over the past seventeen years.
Announcing the appointment Sarah Armstrong, Chair of HDFT said: “I am delighted Jonathan has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive and I know he will lead the organisation with care, dedication and commitment.
“This is an exciting time for our Trust. We are committed to providing the best possible level of healthcare for our community and we have a number of exciting projects over the next few years which will further improve on the high quality health and wellbeing service we provide.
“Jonathan’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable in driving these projects forward and I am very much looking forward to working closely with him in the future.”
Jonathan Coulter said: “I am delighted to have been appointed permanently into the role of Chief Executive.
“HDFT is a brilliant organisation with wonderful people. It is very humbling to be in a position to support all of our fantastic colleagues to be the best that they can be, and continue to do what we try to do every day, which is to help and support the people who need us.”