Wiltshire Health and Care appoints new Chair

13 May 2020

Wiltshire Health and Care appoints new Chair

Dr Stephen Ladyman (pictured) has been appointed as the new Chair of Wiltshire Health and Care and will take up his post on 1 June 2020.

Douglas Blair, Managing Director said: “I am delighted that Stephen has been appointed as our new Chair. He brings a wealth of relevant experience relating to the crucial role that community health services have in supporting the health and wellbeing of local people. I look forward to working with Stephen closely as we continue to work in partnership to improve services.”

Dr Stephen Ladyman said: “I’m looking forward to joining a great team. Wiltshire Health and Care is already doing a great job and making a real difference to the lives of the people of Wiltshire and I am excited about being able to make my own contribution to the work that the team is doing.”

Stephen began his career as a radiation biologist and then moved into IT management in medical research environments. In 1997 he was elected as MP for South Thanet and served until 2010. As a bank-bench MP he founded and chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism.

In 2003 he was appointed as a Minister in the Department of Health and was responsible for social care, the health of older people, children’s health and the care of people with long term conditions. From 2005 to 2007 he served as Minister of State for Transport with responsibilities that included roads, shipping, and transport technologies.

In 2010 he became the Chief Executive of Retirement Security Ltd, a company that manages the biggest portfolio of leasehold extra-care retirement properties in the UK; in 2012 he left to set up his own company, Oak Retirement Ltd in the same sector. In addition, he was chair of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provided community health and mental health services throughout Somerset, from 2013 to 2020 and chair of the Somerset Sustainability and Transformation Partnership from 2018 to 2020.

Stephen’s appointment coincides with the confirmation that Wiltshire Health and Care’s contract to provide adult community services for the county has been extended to run until 30 June 2023.

We look forward to welcoming Stephen to the organisation.