Executive Directors

Nick Hulme has worked in the NHS and social care for more than 35 years. He has worked in operational management and leadership roles in large, complex London acute Trusts. His first management role was in sexual health services before being appointed to senior leadership roles in operational and general management.

Nick was appointed Chief Executive of Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in January 2013 and in May 2016 also became Chief Executive of Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. Following successful joint working, the two trusts merged on 1 July 2018 to form East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, of which Nick is now Chief Executive.

The integrated acute and community trust runs Colchester Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital, Felixstowe Hospital, Bluebird Lodge in Ipswich and community services at Clacton Hospital and Fryatt Hospital in Harwich.

Angela has been Medical Director at Colchester Hospital since 2015.

Angela trained at University College London and qualified in 1987. She first trained as a GP but then went on to complete paediatric training, starting as a consultant in Colchester in 2001.

Previous roles include Lead Clinician for Paediatric Oncology Services and from March 2011 – December 2013 Divisional Director for Women and Children’s Services. She is an instructor for national resuscitation council courses and supports life support training and the paediatric critical care group at the Trust.

Darren Darby is a registered general and children’s nurse and Chief Nurse here at ESNEFT.
Darren joined our Trust in 2023 after spending four years as deputy chief nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He trained to be a nurse in Bradford in the early nineties and moved to London to complete his children’s training. He stayed in and around the city after that, working towards becoming an advanced clinical practitioner in children’s intensive care and trauma.
Darren has worked regionally as clinical quality director of the NHS England’s London region, and he is also honorary associate clinical professor at Middlesex University.

In 2010, Darren was seconded to the Ministry of Defence as part of NHS support to operations and undertook a tour of duty in Afghanistan. His job as a children’s and intensive care nurse was to educate and support the military services in caring for children who were injured and involved in the conflict.

Darren was awarded the Operational Service Medal for his work.

Adrian has worked in NHS finance for more than 30 years. His most recent role prior to ESNEFT was as director of operational finance for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the east of England. In previous roles Adrian has been director of finance for a number of Essex primary care trusts as well as working in acute trusts.

Dr Gordon is a clinician with over a decade of senior NHS management experience in transformational change, strategic and local commissioning and acute hospital leadership.

He is passionate about improving services through innovation, evidence based practice and the use of information to drive positive change. Dr Gordon is also Vice Chairman of the East of England Clinical Senate.

Kate previously worked at Health Education England, East of England, as Deputy Postgraduate Dean but also spent time at West Suffolk Hospital prior to being appointed to the role of Director of People and Organisational Development at ESNEFT.

Mike has concentrated his career locally within the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Community for more than 28 years managing information technology services and the delivery of ICT transformation. During this time he has led the delivery of major infrastructure, corporate and clinical IT systems from procurement through to implementation.

Mike has responsibility for development  of the Trust’s ICT Strategy and supporting ICT programme delivery and support functions including the digitisation of Records Management.

Prior to taking up the Director of Information Communications and Technology post for the Trust he was Chief Information Officer at The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and led the integration of ICT services for acute and community services.

Mike has responsibility on the Trust Board as the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO).The role of the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) was created to provide board-level accountability and greater assurance that information risks are addressed.

Rebecca is a highly skilled communications and engagement professional with more than 30 years’ experience of working in the NHS.

She began her career as an operational manager in the acute sector before leading a cancer network and working in commissioning and mental health services as a strategic communicator.

George joined the Trust as Director of Governance in May 2023. George was previously the Trust Secretary at the West London NHS Trust where he led the Trust’s Corporate Governance function for four years.

Prior to this, he worked as Corporate Governance Manager at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and has also worked in public policy for elected representatives in Westminster.

Alison was the Director of Operations at Colchester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust from January 2017. Prior to that, she was at The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust for 21 years where her last role was Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Alison began her career as a newly qualified nurse over 30 years ago and has extensive expertise and experience in both Cancer Care and Medicine and Emergency Care. She has worked in both clinical and operational senior leadership roles and is currently the SRO for System Resilience as part of the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance.

Karen is a highly experienced director of operations and has worked in the NHS for 20 years. Karen began her career in the NHS at Ipswich Hospital. She has worked in a large teaching hospital and also in commissioning across the East of England. Karen’s focus is on elective and diagnostic services across the Trust.

Nick is a chartered civil engineer and chartered procurement professional, and most recently has been working for the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in central government.

Paul was area director of adult and community services in Ipswich and east Suffolk for Suffolk County Council before being appointed to this innovative, new role for ESNEFT and Suffolk County Council.

Working to develop our Alliance approach in Suffolk, he will be seconded for 12 months and will report to Neill Moloney, Deputy Chief Executive for ESNEFT and to Sue Cook, Executive Director People Services, at Suffolk County Council.