Len Richards, CEO announces new position as Chief Executive, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Chief Executive Len Richards has today, Monday 10th May, been announced as the new Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Len has been Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board for four years and brought with him significant health experience from around the globe and from within the NHS.

Charles Janczewski , Chair of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: "While we are delighted for Len in his new appointment which will also take him closer to his family in the Northeast, it will be a loss to Cardiff and Vale. Len has brought with him a unique style of inclusive leadership, ambition for the Health Board and the drive and delivery that has seen us step up and significantly improve as a Health Board in many of our core areas, such as performance and finance but significantly patient care. I would like to formally thank Len for his dedicated service and commitment through one of the most significant challenging times faced by the health service in its history, and for his continuous commitment to improving patient care. Len is a humble leader and his personable style has resulted in some lifelong relationships which I'm sure he will take with him. On behalf of all the Board, I wish him well in his new position."

Len Richards said: "It has been a privilege to be CEO of Cardiff and Vale UHB. The past four years have given me so many opportunities but as always the work has been done with a great team of people and staff around me in the Health Board, and across the partnerships that support health and wellbeing. I believe Cardiff and Vale holds a unique place in Wales in the provision of health services to its population and we have seen this come to the fore in the past 14 months with the unprecedented response to Covid-19 from research and development to frontline responses to innovation and the way in which all of our teams - clinical and non-clinical - have adapted to the challenges that faced them. I will leave Cardiff and Vale and my regular walks up Caerphilly Mountain with a heavy heart but the last year has also brought the importance of family into focus and the need to be closer to home in the Northeast."

Len will take up his new post in October 2021 and details of interim arrangements and recruitment for a new Chief Executive will be made in due course.