About the role

The Shared Chair (‘the Chair’) will lead the Board of Directors and Councils of Governors of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on appointment. At an agreed point in time the Chair will also lead the Board of Directors and Council of Governors of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Together with North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, the trusts have formed a collaborative working arrangement known as the Great North Healthcare Alliance. The Alliance was formed through a recognition that working together can deliver significant benefits to patients and staff within each organisation and in the wider region.

The Great North Healthcare Alliance collectively cares for 1.3m patients over 4,600 square miles. Alliance partners employ 40,000 staff and have an annual budget of around £3.4billion.

By working together the Alliance seeks to:

• Improve patient outcomes and reduce inequalities by strengthening services and making it easier to access the best clinical care.
• Create great places to work by joining up the recruitment and staff experience offer and by sharing career development opportunities.
• Pioneer innovation, transformation, research and development, making the most of academic and commercial opportunities.
• Reduce health inequalities and do more for the economy, environment and communities through local and national partnerships.
• Create a financially sustainable value for money health economy that raises revenue by treating as many patients as possible within the resources available, commercial activity and cost reduction.

The four trusts have all signed up to a Collaboration Agreement which sets out the above objectives and how they should be met. The principal place to steer the delivery of the Alliance objectives are Committees in Common, which all four trusts are a member of.

During July 2024, Newcastle and Northumbria Trusts implemented a Shared Chair arrangement and in early 2025 Newcastle, Northumbria and Gateshead agreed to create a new ‘Joint Committee’ to take forward the enhanced collaboration across the three Trusts.

The Joint Committee has delegated permissions from each Board with an initial focus on the three areas of finance, digital and research and innovation where benefits from such joint working have been identified. The Chair will play an integral role in chairing the Joint Committee and supporting the Trusts to collectively make effective decisions which benefit both our patients and staff.

The role of the Chair

The Chair has a unique role in leading the Boards of the three Trusts, working together with the Chief Executives to harness each Trust’s strengths, share innovation and open up opportunities for delivering our clinical and support services in the most effective and responsive way for the benefit of the populations served. The Chair will be integral to the delivery of the Alliance aims and have a clear impact on the ability to enhance patient care, outcomes and experience.

The role combines the duty to lead effective governance, consistent with the Nolan principles and NHS values, with securing a complementary long-term vision and strategy for each organisation.

The Chair will provide highly effective, visible and authentic leadership of the Boards and Councils of Governors of the three Trusts. They will play a full role in the determination and development of strategies; to provide oversight and scrutiny of plans to achieve those strategies. They will support, encourage and enable the Executive Teams of the Trusts to deliver, whilst also holding them to account for that delivery.

The Chair must ensure that communication into and out of the Boardrooms is clear, consistent and honest, maintaining strong and effective working relationships with members, Governors, and other internal stakeholders, as well as with partner organisations in the area, the region and nationally.

Working in partnership with colleagues, the Chair will set the tone for partnership and collaborative working. They will act as a role model for a culture that is inclusive and respectful and reflects the vision and values of the Trusts, as individual organisations, and collectively.

Externally, the Chair will be a public voice, exemplifying the values and representing the best interests of our patients and local population.

They will use their energy, skills and experience to help drive the delivery of sustainable healthcare services for the populations served.

The Chair will be supported by a Vice Chair in each of the three Trusts. The Vice Chairs’ role will be expanded beyond the usual responsibilities, with the detail agreed in accordance with the governance processes within each Trust. It is anticipated that the Chair’s role will include a particular emphasis on building partnerships and working with external stakeholders, locally, regionally and nationally. The focus of the Vice Chairs’ roles will be more internally focused.

Effective management of potential or perceived conflicts of interest and the maintenance of confidentiality within individual organisations where required will be of paramount importance to the delivery and integrity of the role.