UCLH has announced that David Probert has been appointed as their new chief executive.
Probert, former chief executive of Moorfields Eye Hospital, is expected to step into the role in the late summer.
Prior to joining Moorfields in April 2016, Probert was UCLH’s director for strategic development and led the planning and development for both the Royal National ENT and Easton Dental Hospitals, and the Grafton Way Building for surgery and cancer.
During his time at Moorfields Eye Hospital, he laid the foundations for Oriel, a “pioneering” eye care research, education and treatment centre. The project was undertaken in partnership with University College London.
Probert will be taking over from current chief executive Marcel Levi, who will be departing the role on 31st March to take on the position of chairman and chief executive of the Netherlands Research Council and chief scientific officer of the Netherlands. During the interim period, the duties of UCLH’s chief executive will be fulfilled by Tim Jaggard, deputy chief executive and chief financial officer.
Discussing his appointment, Probert said, “It is a huge honour to be returning to UCLH as chief executive. UCLH is a national and international leader in clinical care, education and research and, in the last year, its staff have shown enormous resilience and professionalism in responding to the pressures of the pandemic. I am very much looking forward to working alongside so many talented teams to deliver the very best healthcare we can to the patients and communities we serve.”
UCLH chair Baroness Julia Neuberger said, “We are delighted to be welcoming David to UCLH. He is an outstanding leader with a strong track record in developing NHS services to meet modern healthcare needs.
“David joins us at a time of unprecedented strain on the NHS. I have every confidence that he will inspire our teams to continue to meet the challenges of the pandemic head on, lead the hospital into recovery mode, and also build on our strengths as a leading academic and research-driven healthcare institution.”
