Executive team

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 successfully brought together community and hospital based care in his previous role as Chief Executive of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust.

Nick was appointed Chief Executive at The 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 the 1 July 2018 to form East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, of which Nick is now Chief Executive. He is also leading the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for east and west Suffolk and north east Essex.

Neill has worked in the NHS for over 20 years. He has extensive experience and expertise in operational management, planning and performance and  leadership in commissioning and information. Neill was Chief Operating Officer for The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, and then joint Managing Director for Ipswich and Colchester trusts before the organisations merged in July 2018.

Neill is passionate about high quality, safe, compassionate care.

Melissa Dowdeswell will be ESNEFT’s interim Chief Nurse from 2 March. Melissa, who has been in post as Deputy Director of Nursing at Colchester since May 2017, moved in to Site Director of nursing at Colchester Hospital in July 2018, and has also been covering the Ipswich site since Claire Thompson left the Trust last year. Melissa said: “I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to act in to the Chief Nurse role. I thoroughly enjoy working with such fantastic and dedicated teams, ensuring our patients continue to receive the best possible care and experience.” We are also happy to announce Kay Hamilton is our new interim Deputy Chief Nurse and will be in post shortly. The Chief Nurse vacancy is being advertised nationally with interviews due to take place on 20 March.

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.

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.