Two key managerial appointments which will help to lead change and develop the Island’s health service have been made by the Department of Health and Social Care.
 
Mrs Michaela Morris will take up post as Managing Director for Acute Services reporting directly to the Department’s new Chief Executive Mark Charters.  The new post – which covers Noble’s Hospital and referrals for treatment in the UK – was one of the recommendations of a review into Noble’s Hospital management and governance in 2013 by consultants Beamans.
 
Mrs Morris has a long and distinguished career within the UK NHS, previously as the Chief Executive for Newham University Hospital NHS Trust until January 2012, and for the past two years working as a health consultant for the Ara Darzi organisation assisting the development of health services in Qatar.
 
Reporting to Mrs Morris will be the newly appointed Medical Director for Noble’s Hospital, Dr Jugnu Mahajan.  Dr Mahajan is currently the Medical Director for Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust where she has worked since 2009.  Dr Mahajan is also a Consultant Paediatrician.  Dr Mahajan’s appointment as Medical Director at Noble’s Hospital will see a significant evolution in the role which is to become a full time managerial post with no clinical commitments – a further recommendation by Beamans.  Previously the role had been a split between clinical and managerial commitments.
 
Commenting on the appointments, Minister for Health and Social Care Howard Quayle MHK, said: “We have undertaken a comprehensive recruitment process to find individuals with the talent and expertise for these two crucial management posts.  I am certain the appointment of Mrs Morris and Dr Mahajan, in addition to that of our new Chief Executive Mark Charters, will help deliver the change required to address current and future challenges and develop our health service.”
 
Department of Health and Social Care Chief Executive, Mark Charters, said: “I believe we have found two very able professionals who can use their experience to help us modernise health care in the Isle of Man and work within our new Health and Social Care leadership team to jointly develop services and deliver the best care possible.”
 
Mrs Morris is expected to take up her post on 1 September 2014, with Dr Mahajan due to commence work on 1 November 2014.  As is normal practice the prospective post holders will be subject to further checks.