Northern Care Alliance NHS Group announces appointment of new Chief Executive

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group has announced the appointment of Mr Raj Jain as its new Chief Executive.

The Northern Care Alliance (NCA) brings together five hospitals, specialist and acute services, a range of associated community services, and over 17,500 staff across Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust under an NHS Group arrangement.

Raj (pictured) will take up the post of Chief Executive of Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance from 1 April 2019.

Under the Management Agreement that is in place, through which Salford Royal provides and is accountable for management support to Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Raj will also take up responsibility as Chief Executive of the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

The appointment follows the announcement in November 2018 that Sir David Dalton is to retire from his post as Chief Executive on 31 March 2019 after 40 years in the NHS.

Raj is currently Deputy Chief Executive and Group Chief Strategy and Organisational Development Officer at the Northern Care Alliance.

He joined Salford Royal in January 2015 and has led the development and implementation of the group’s key strategic plans, which have included working with local healthcare partners in establishing new integrated care arrangements; and overseeing Salford’s Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) Programme, helping to establish Salford Royal as one of the most digitally mature NHS trusts in the country and provide critical digital improvements to services in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester.

Raj previously held the post of Managing Director of Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network (AHSN). Prior to this, he was Chief Executive of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which under Raj’s leadership was awarded Hospital of the Year in 2012.

Raj has been a director of two research organisations and has held regional and national leadership positions in health development and planning. He spent the early part of his career in the oil and gas industry, is an economist by training, and is a Human Resources and Organisational Development professional.

In a message to staff, Mr Jim Potter, Chairman of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, said: “I am delighted to confirm that the Group Committees in Common (CiC) has today announced the appointment of Raj Jain as our new Chief Executive. This appointment has been approved by our Council of Governors.

“We are indebted to Sir David Dalton for his significant contribution to Salford Royal and latterly across the Northern Care Alliance; his legacy will continue to benefit our patients and service users, this organisation and its people for many years.

“The next few years will be a challenging but an exciting time for our organisation to build on the success and achievements, and to progress our vison and strategic plans for the Northern Care Alliance alongside our partners. 

"We are wholly confident that Raj has the values, experience and ambition to lead us on this next chapter and to take the NCA into an even more exciting future, with the full support of our staff, the Group Committees in Common, and Council of Governors.”

Raj will be responsible for the overall leadership of Salford Royal and its Integrated Care Organisation, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and a range of community and district healthcare services.

Commenting on his appointment, Raj Jain, said: “Leading the hugely talented and committed people of the NCA is an immense privilege and honour. I have worked in Greater Manchester for nearly 30 years, and have seen great progress in the health and well-being of the citizens of Greater Manchester. 

"My burning ambition is to support the people we serve, our staff and partners to achieve even more, even in the most challenging of times.”