NHS Improvement has confirmed the appointment of a highly experienced North West businessman, Neil Masom OBE, as Chair of the Board of Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust.



With nearly 20 years of Board-level experience in executive and non-executive roles in both the commercial and public sectors, Neil succeeds Richard Fraser who steps down after two years in the post. Richard will continue as Chair at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.



An engineer by profession, Neil began his career with the former Hawker Siddeley Aviation aircraft company in 1977 before going on to gain more than 30 years' experience with BAE Systems, primarily in Manchester and Lancashire, holding three managing director posts at the company between 2000 and 2009.



He has held and continues to perform a number of non-executive posts, including as chairman of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services Organisation (2000-2006) and as a non-executive director at East Cheshire NHS Trust in Macclesfield (2009-2013). He is currently senior independent director at WYG plc, a successful international engineering consultancy, and has just completed a four-year term as audit committee chair at HS2 Limited, the company responsible for designing and building the UK’s new high-speed rail network.



Neil said: “I am delighted to have been selected to serve the community of Southport, Formby and West Lancashire. The Trust has been through some challenging times in recent years but the dedicated workforce, now under Silas’s leadership, is generating a growing confidence from all stakeholders. I look forward to building on that and helping the team deliver the very best healthcare that the community deserves and the staff wish to deliver."



Silas Nicholls, Chief Executive, said: “It is a privilege to welcome Neil to the Trust. His wide-ranging experience and knowledge will be invaluable in shaping our hospitals and the great health care we want to provide for local people. His appointment reflects a growing confidence in the Trust which can only be of benefit to patients and staff.



”I also wish Richard Fraser well for the future and thank him for his dedication to the Trust, common sense chairmanship and good humour through occasionally difficult times.”



Neil, who lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, starts his term as Chair on 1 December 2018. It ends on 20 November 2020 and he will receive remuneration of £30,000 per annum. He has not declared any political activity in the last five years.



He will be joined on the Board in January by Dr Terry Hankin who has been appointed Medical Director. He is currently deputy medical director at St Helens and Knowsley.