April 29, 2015 12.06 pm This story is over 107 months old

Lincolnshire NHS trust chairman to leave at end of April

Change at the top: The chairman of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is set to leave the role at the end of this month.

The chairman of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is set to leave the role at the end of this month, becoming the second high-profile healthcare manager in the county to announce their departure within the space of a week.

Eileen Ziemer-Cottingham will leave the position at the end of April, having served the maximum term possible as the trust’s chairman.

The trust has appointed Paul Devlin in her place, who will officially join as chairman from May 1 for a term of three years.

This news comes days after the announcement that ULHT chief executive Jane Lewington will step down from her post in July, having been appointed CEO in December 2012.

Eileen joined the trust in 2001 as a non-executive director and played a key role in the organisation becoming a foundation trust in 2007.

Her role as chairman has been to safeguard the services that the trust provides and to ensure that the views of patients and carers are heard.

She said: “I have great respect and admiration for the many great staff and volunteers who regularly demonstrate their total commitment to the health and care of local people and it is to their credit that I have enjoyed my time with them.

“I have seen a huge amount of changes to local health services, particularly for people with mental health problems, which have altered significantly over my years on the board.

“I have always been committed to ensuring parity of esteem for mental health and breaking down the stigma people sometimes face with these types of problems.

“It has been a pleasure to have been so involved in so many innovative developments, including the trust becoming a foundation trust and the £15m development of mental health rehabilitation services in Lincoln at Discovery House.”

Chief Executive Dr John Brewin said: “I would like to thank Eileen for her commitment and support over the past few years. She has devoted a lot of time and energy to the NHS for which we are thankful.

“Her experience and knowledge has been invaluable and she will be missed by us all.”