30 Dec Ex-BBC journalist Tim Fenton appointed to Colchester Hospital Trust board
A former journalist who began his 19-year BBC career in Essex has been appointed to the board of the NHS trust that runs Colchester General Hospital.
Tim Fenton takes up the part-time post of Non-Executive Director (NED) at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust with immediate effect.
He replaces Tom Fleetwood, who stood down after four years on 30 November to take up a joint appointment as Freedom to Speak Up Guardian at the Trust and Ipswich Hospital.
For two years from 1986, Mr Fenton worked in Colchester as a reporter, producer and newsreader for BBC Essex. His other roles at the corporation, which he left in 2005, included being a political and parliamentary correspondent (1988-1995) and the managing editor of BBC News Online (2000-2004).
He was Chair of governors at Holbrook Academy between 2013 and 2015, during which time the secondary school’s Ofsted rating rose from “special measures” to “good”.
He said: “I am a believer in the NHS. I think it’s one of this country’s greatest achievements. Both my parents worked for it and I have used it throughout my life.
“I am convinced of the need for closer partnership between Colchester and Ipswich hospital trusts in order to deliver better and better-value care.”
Mr Fenton, 56, is married with two children. His father was a GP in Ipswich and his mother was a nurse.
Welcoming his appointment, Trust Chair David White said: “I am delighted to welcome Tim onto the Board. He brings a wealth of relevant experience and the kind of background that will be invaluable in taking the Trust forward. I am confident he will make a very positive contribution to our work.”
For the past decade, Mr Fenton has worked as an independent news industry consultant and interim manager. His current projects include being a lecturer and senior tutor in “Government and Politics for Journalists” at the University of Essex.
His appointment as a Non-Executive Director was made by the Trust’s Council of Governors.
Michael Horley, lead governor, said: “Tim is a firm believer in governance and putting the patient at the centre of all we do at the Trust.
“The Council of Governors looks forward to working with him as a Non-Executive Director Board member.”
The appointment is for three years, subject to satisfactory annual appraisal. He will receive an annual remuneration of £12,568.
NEDS help develop strategy and scrutinise performance. They have a key role in providing leadership inside the Trust and acting as external ambassadors for the organisation.
As well as running Colchester General Hospital, the Trust owns and manages Essex County Hospital, Colchester; provides some services at the hospitals in Clacton, Halstead and Harwich; and runs some community services.
