Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust chair Nick Carver is to stand down this summer after being appointed to a senior NHS England role.
Mr Carver, who has chaired the trust since February 2022, has submitted his resignation as chair of NUH with effect from 1 July 2026 after being appointed Chair of NHS England for the East of England region.
The move is set out in his chair’s report to NUH’s public board meeting on Thursday 14 May.
Mr Carver says he had intended to remain in post until the end of the 2026/27 financial year, but NHS rules do not allow someone to work for NHS England while also serving on an NHS trust board.
His departure comes at a significant point for the trust, with Donna Ockenden’s Independent Maternity Review into NUH’s maternity services expected to be received before he leaves.
In his report, Mr Carver says the timing of his resignation is expected to allow him and chief executive Anthony May to receive the review and lead the trust board in its initial response to the report.
The review is one of the most important pieces of public scrutiny facing NUH, following long-running concerns raised by bereaved and affected families about maternity care at Nottingham’s hospitals.
Mr Carver says: “It is anticipated that this timescale will enable me, with the Chief Executive, to receive the Independent Maternity Review from Donna Ockenden and lead the Trust Board in its initial response to the report.”
The trust says the post of NUH chair will be filled through open competition and advertised shortly. However, the board paper says a permanent appointment will not have been made by the end of June, meaning interim arrangements will be put in place.
The acting chair will not be a candidate for the substantive role.
Mr Carver’s resignation also comes as NUH continues to face a number of major operational, financial and quality pressures, including emergency care waits, corridor care, cancer performance, maternity improvement work and the delivery of a new medium-term financial plan.
The May board papers include updates on urgent and emergency care performance, maternity oversight, staff survey results, Freedom to Speak Up concerns and the trust’s public accountability work.
In his report, Mr Carver says it has been “one of the great privileges” of his life to chair NUH and to “seek to serve the people to whom the NHS belongs”.
He adds: “I look forward to following the development of the Trust in the future and am grateful to Board members for their support and encouragement over the last four years.”
Mr Carver was appointed chair of NUH in February 2022, during a period of intense scrutiny for the trust. Since then, NUH has continued to work through improvement programmes linked to maternity services, governance, operational performance and public accountability.
The public board meeting takes place at Sherwood Hall, City Hospital, from 9.30am on Thursday 14 May.
