THE new boss at the Countess of Chester Hospital has spoken of his vision to put the city hospital on the map in providing patient services and care.
Chief executive Tony Chambers joined the trust in December as an experienced NHS leader with a strong track record of managing large scale acute hospital services.
Speaking of his passion to improve existing services, many of which he believes are already of a high quality, Mr Chambers said: “The Countess of Chester Hospital is a phenomenal, well respected and highly regarded hospital with quality staff and patient services.
“High quality patient care is at the heart of everything we do and I believe in this hospital.
“The staff here are exceptional and are committed to driving services forward in the best way possible.”
Among plans outlined for the trust, which is currently in the process of overseeing £20million worth of investment in new patient care services, is the construction of a new critical and planned care wing.
The £13 million extension has begun to take shape at the back of the hospital and will include a 21-bed critical care unit and a 30-bed elective care ward on the
ground floor which will host a new bariatric surgery service.
Mr Chambers added: “There is a lot to feel optimistic about the future and the improvements and extension of services that lie ahead.
“Of course, it will not be easy but we have an excellent team here who can drive forward those changes, and improve services.
“We will have to ensure the whole system of working together and that risks and benefits in relation to patient care are shared with the relevant outside partnerships.
“We want to engage with the public as much as possible.”
From starting his career as a student nurse in Bolton in 1985 the new chief executive has worked in a variety of clinical and management roles.
Most recently he was the director of planning, performance and delivery at Hywel Dda Health Board in South Wales.