Pennine Acute Trust welcomes new Non-executive director

New Pennine Acute Trust Non-executive director Edward Ahmad.

The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust welcomed a new Non-executive director at a board meeting this month.

The Appointments Commission’s Health and Social Care Appointments Committee has agreed the appointment of Edward Ahmad from Rochdale.

He took up his position with the Trust this week and will serve for a four year period, until 30 November 2013.

Mr Ahmad is an experienced director who has worked at executive level in a number of international manufacturing companies including textiles, automotives and machine tools.

He has also worked in the public sector with a Yorkshire Forward subsidiary regeneration company and in the charity sector with the 316 Community Project (a multi-cultural sports and football coaching programme), the Silver Street Christian Fellowship and Beam International. He was educated in Dhaka, Kansas City, Bristol and Manchester.

John Jesky, Trust chairman, said: “On behalf of the Board I am delighted to welcome Edward Ahmad to the Trust. Non-executive directors have a vital role to play in ensuring that communities are seen to influence and hold to account the work of the Trust in providing quality healthcare services for patients.

“Their responsibilities include helping the Board to work in the public interest, helping to plan for future improvements to hospital services, ensuring that the management team meets its performance targets and making sure that Trust finances are managed properly.

“This is an exciting time for the Trust as we are in the process of consulting with out staff, patients and the public on becoming an NHS Foundation Trust. We have also recently received a good and good performance rating from the healthcare regulator which is very encouraging and which reflect the hard work of staff and the improvements and progress we have made across our hospitals over the last year. I am sure that Edward will play a key role in helping us build on our progress as we move into 2010 and beyond.”

The appointment of Mr Ahmad has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice.

All non-executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. Mr Ahmad has not declared any political activity and does not hold any ministerial appointments. All Non-executive directors of NHS Trusts receive a nationally set remuneration of £6,096 per annum.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Ahmad said: “I am pleased to be appointed and look forward to assisting the Trust in meeting its performance targets, participating in improving quality and patient experience.”

Mr Ahmad will replace outgoing Non-executive director, John Battye. In paying tribute to Mr Battye, Mr Jesky said that the Trust owed him a debt of gratitude for the hard work, interest and good counsel which he had shown during the 7 years that Mr Battye had been a Non-executive director.

Mr Jesky recalled that John had started to work for the NHS, at what is now The Royal Oldham Hospital, in 1962 in the Pathology Department and had eventually become a member of The Royal Oldham Hospital Board prior to it becoming part of the Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust. Mr Jesky concluded by saying that John’s experience would be difficult to replace and would certainly be missed.