New chief executive for health board

NHS Highland has announced that Iain Stewart has been appointed as its new chief executive.

Originally from Stornoway, Iain has an exceptional track record with more than 30 years’ experience in the public sector and has held a number of senior positions within the NHS in both England and Wales.

Iain, who will take up his post at the end of January, said: ‘Having lived in the Highlands for over 40 years, with close ties to Argyll and the Scottish islands, the health and wellbeing of NHS Highland’s population is exceptionally important to me and I am delighted to be appointed to this role and am looking forward to leading, innovating and improving health and social care services across the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.’

Iain is currently deputy chief of commissioning of the NHS Mid-Nottinghamshire clinical commissioning groups. In this role, he is responsible for the leadership, operational management, and transformational improvement for a population of 330,000 with an annual budget of around £500m.

He said: ‘I have provided senior operational and transformational leadership to various NHS organisations, managing multiple acute hospitals, mental health, community and strategic Iain Stewart, NHS Highland’s new chief executive. He will take up his post at the end of the month. commissioning throughout England and North Wales, it is now time for me to consolidate these experiences and together I believe we can continue to build a world-class health and social care service for the north of Scotland.’

With NHS Highland’s outgoing chief executive officer, Elaine Mead, having departed on December 31, Dr Gregor Smith, the deputy chief medical officer for Scotland, has been appointed as the board’s interim chief executive and accountable officer pending Iain Stewart’s substantive appointment.