An executive strategic director with more than 25 years’ experience has joined the UK’s largest employee-owned healthcare company this month.
Helen Coombes, who has senior leadership experience within NHS Trusts and local government, was appointed to the Shaw healthcare board in March 2022.
Her role as a Non-Executive Director will help ensure the business maintains strong links across the sector and continues to work closely with local authority partners to deliver its spectrum of care services at the highest possible level.
Ms Coombes has led multiple high-profile projects in various parts of the UK, including the Strengthening Communities Programme across six southwest London boroughs and the ADASS Leadership and Delivery of Sector Led Improvement/Peer Challenge Programme, for 14 councils in the West Midlands.
Her experience includes Director of Adult Social Care and community services in several local authorities in the Midlands and Southwest delivering large-scale quality and efficiency improvements positions alongside some major health, housing and care partnerships. As an Exec Director at Dorset County Council, she supported the merger of nine councils into two new unitary authorities and has led a number of large-scale complex organisational change programmes in the NHS and local government delivering significant cost savings and new ways of working.
Helen commented:
Shaw is focused on delivering outstanding care, has strong values, is employee owned and constantly innovating to give people the opportunity to live well at this time of major change as we emerge from COVID and national policy changes. I’m excited to be joining a company that is committed to playing a significant role in working with communities, local authorities, and the NHS in partnership to deliver outstanding services; contributing to social, environment and economic outcomes that benefit everyone.
Russell Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Shaw healthcare, said:
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Helen to our board. She brings with her invaluable experience in commissioning and procurement and has an excellent track record of delivering major innovative transformation, in NHS and local government settings.
