Movers and Shakers roundup

Our latest Movers and Shakers roundup includes the appointment of a new health minister and a new chief executive at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.

Ashley Dalton has been appointed as health minister following the sacking of Andrew Gwynne after he made offensive comments in a WhatsApp group.

Dalton has served as a parliamentary private secretary to Wes Streeting since the general election in July 2024.

On 31 January 2025, Philip Kenney departed Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust, where he held the position of chief digital officer. He spoke of his “incredible journey” when announcing the news on LinkedIn.

Dame Cally Palmer is to step down as NHS England’s national cancer director. The chief executive of The Royal Marsden Foundation Trust, who took on the national role in 2015, will return to her trust role in a full-time capacity.

Two foundation trust chief executives have joined NHS England as unpaid national advisers for community health services and developing neighbourhood health.

Siobhan Melia of Sussex Community and Richard Kirby of Birmingham Community Healthcare will advise NHSE on community health services and neighbourhood health respectively.

Brent Kilmurray, chief executive at Tees, Esk and West Valley Foundation Trust, will step down after five years in April 2025 to take on the role of chief executive at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust following the retirement of Len Richards.

James Lowell, who took the role of chief executive at Queen Victoria Hospital Foundation Trust in September 2023, has now left and started a new role as chief delivery officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System.

Health technology company Lilli has appointed Kelly Hudson as chief executive to spearhead its accelerated growth trajectory.

Formerly chief strategy officer at the company, in her new role Hudson will focus on building on existing success across UK local authorities and expanding the reach of Lilli in both the public and private health and care markets.

Tobias Alpsten, the founder of digital HealthTech pioneer iPLATO  is leaving 25 years after setting up the business and three years after it was acquired by Huma.

iPLATO is a provider of screening, appointment booking, medicines management and communication tools installed in the majority of UK GP practices.

Community pharmacy technology specialists Cegedim Rx has named Tracey Robertson as its new managing director in the UK.

Bringing more than three decades of experience in digital innovation, Robertson steps into the leadership role after a seven-year tenure leading Cegedim Rx’s product development.

Leading chief nursing information officer (CNIO) Sam Neville has joined the Highland Marketing advisory board.

She has been a nurse for 30 years and became interested in the potential of digital in healthcare when she led an e-NEWS scoring implementation at what is now Mid and South Essex NHS Trust.

Neville is currently associate director of clinical applications and CNIO at the trust, as well as regional CNIO and clinical safety officer for the East of England.