Alder Hey's Chair of Chair's Steps Down

End of an era as Angela Jones announces her retirement.

June 2010

Angela Jones, OBE DL is set to step down as Chair of Alder Hey in October, bringing to an end a decade of inspirational guidance and leadership.

She announced her retirement in an emotional letter to Alder Hey’s 2,600 staff, saying: “It is with a heavy heart that the time has come for me to step down as Chair of the Trust.”

Since her appointment back in 2001, Angela has been relentless in her quest to promote Alder Hey’s reputation in providing world class health care. Joining on the day the Redfern Report on organ retention was published, she was determined to restore public confidence in Liverpool’s famous children’s hospital and rebuild relationships with the community, while supporting staff in building back their pride in working in the organisation.

In what she describes as ‘a rollercoaster of a decade’, Angela has been instrumental in steering Alder Hey through many significant challenges and achievements, including its recent Foundation Trust status in 2008. Her chairship has also co-incided with the Trust gaining the highest possible ratings from the Health Care Commission and the Care Quality Commission for the seventh consecutive year.

Following her close involvement and support in the development of a new hospital, Angela believes that she is leaving the Trust in fantastic shape as it enters one of the most exciting periods in its history with the creation of a hospital in the park. She said: “There is a few years of solid work to ensure our vision of the Children’s Health Park is delivered in time for our 100^th birthday in October 2014. It’s been very rewarding to see this develop and evolve.”

Renowned for her enthusiasm, Angela has been a strong advocate for equality and diversity across the Trust and has forged valuable relationships with Merseyside MP’s, Liverpool City Council, local councillors and the local community. She has been a huge supporter of many, exciting new initiatives to improve patient experience, in particular the Alder Hey Arts programme which aims to make a patient’s stay more enriching and enjoyable. Her unquestionable dedication is further strengthened in her roles as Trustee of the Alder Hey Imagine Appeal and the onsite Ronald McDonald House.

In June 2006, Angela was made Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside for work within the community and health and this was soon followed by an OBE in 2007 for ‘Services to Health in Liverpool’. Her most recent accolade came in 2009 when she was awarded ‘Outstanding Chair of the Year’ by the North West ’s Leadership Academy. This prestigious honour was a fitting tribute to her continuous leadership, dedication and focus over the past 10 years.

Prior to joining the Trust, Angela had held a number of posts including Non-Executive Director of Liverpool Family Health Services Authority, Chair of Liverpool Brook Advisory, Deputy Chair of Liverpool Health Authority and Chair of Liverpool Cardiothoracic Centre (now Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust).

In her letter to all her colleagues at Alder Hey, Angela continued: “I believe that now is the right time for me and for Alder Hey to move on. It has been a rollercoaster of a decade with its many achievements and significant challenges. However it has been a tremendous privilege to be part of the journey and of all the posts I have ever held, being Chair of Alder Hey is the one that I cherish the most.”

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