Derek Cartwright appointed new Chief Executive of North West Ambulance Service

Derek Cartwright, Chief Executive, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Derek Cartwright has been appointed the new Chief Executive of the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Mr Cartwright has held the role of Interim Chief Executive since the departure of former chief Bob Williams in March and has had a long career in the ambulance service in the North West.

He joined Greater Manchester Ambulance Service (GMAS) as a member of its patient transport service in 1986. He progressed to the emergency service in 1988 where he became a paramedic and then a manager. Derek continued his career in Greater Manchester and in 2003 he was appointed to the post of Operations Director and operated as a member of the GMAS Board.

On establishment of the North West Ambulance Service in 2006, he was appointed to the post of Area Director for the Cumbria and Lancashire area and was subsequently promoted to Director of Emergency Services in 2009.

In November 2012, he was appointed to the role of Director of Operations and then in March 2016 he was appointed as Interim Chief Executive.

Mr Cartwright said: “I am very proud to be given this opportunity to take the Trust forward and am looking forward to working together with staff and partners in the region to make sure we provide quality, compassionate care for our patients.”

Mr Cartwright received the Queen's Ambulance Medal (QAM) in the New Year's Honours list on 2014. He lives in Bolton with his wife Joanne, has four grown up children and a grandson.