The Trust has appointed Vikki Carruth as Director of Nursing, who will join the Trust in the autumn, having been Director of Nursing and Quality at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust for three years and previously Deputy Chief Nurse at St George’s Healthcare in southwest London.
Vikki Carruth
Vikki will replace Alice Webster who left the Trust in July to take up a senior nursing post at NHS Improvement. Until Vikki takes up her new position Hazel Tonge, Deputy Director of Nursing, will be interim Director of Nursing.
As Director of Nursing, Vikki will be responsible for the overall leadership and development of the Trust’s 4,000 nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and healthcare assistants. Her role also includes overseeing infection control, patient safety and governance, as well as working with doctors, nurses and other staff on dedicated projects and initiatives to further improve the patient experience.
Dr Adrian Bull, Chief Executive ESHT said: “We are delighted that someone of Vikki’s calibre will be joining us as our new Director of Nursing. I know that her extensive skills and experience will play a key role in the care we provide to our patients every day and shaping our journey to be outstanding by 2020. Vikki will help us strengthen our governance arrangements and encourage a greater focus on safety across the organisation. She will provide strong and professional leadership for our dedicated nurses, midwives and allied healthcare professionals and will be an excellent addition to the Executive Team.
At the same time I would like to record my thanks to Alice Webster for all her hard work over the past five years in this demanding role. She has been a popular individual, influential in helping to improve the patient experience and the quality and safety of the services we provide our patients. Her contribution and leadership to our improvement journey has been immense.”
Vikki said: “I’m delighted to be joining ESHT this autumn. I look forward to working with staff to continue the excellent work already underway to further enhance patient safety, care and experience.”
Originally from Dublin, Vikki qualified as a registered nurse in the UK undertaking a number of post graduate studies at the University of Brighton. She has worked in the NHS for over 28 years holding a variety of senior nursing posts in a number of trusts in London and the South. Vikki is passionate about ensuring that the care that patients receive is the very best it can be and that staff have the right training, leadership and support to deliver this to every patient, every time. She has a clinical background in acute medicine and has a particular interest in the care of vulnerable patients and those with more complex needs.