Care Trust seeks three new Board members

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking three new Board members when the current post holders step down after completing their terms of office.

Trust Chair, Dr Linda Patterson OBE FRCP, will be completing her three-year term at the end of 2025, and is retiring after 50 years’ NHS service, with over 25 years in both clinical leadership and board level roles.

Non-Executive Directors, Simon Lewis and Maz Ahmed, will also be completing their second terms of office in the coming months, and will retire from their role.

During their time with the Trust, they have all made a significant contribution to the Board’s strategic leadership, culture and governance, including leading and shaping the work of the Board committees.

Current Chair, Dr Linda Patterson, said: “It has been a great privilege to have chaired the Care Trust for the last three and a half years. We have endeavoured to serve our patients, service users and our communities, delivering high quality care with dignity and compassion. There is always more work to be done to transform the way we work to be more efficient and to deliver better services, working with our partners, but I am confident that the leadership team, along with our fantastic staff will rise to the challenge.

“I am sad to go, but the time has come for me, after 50 years in the NHS, to make the transition to retirement. I remain committed to our NHS as a public service, a testament to a civilised society, and I wish the services across Bradford and Craven well.”

The Trust is now searching for experienced senior-level leaders with a passion for public service to join their Board.  They will play a vital role in the Trust’s future plans to deliver its strategic priorities and ambition to ‘create better lives, together’ for both local communities, partners, and staff.

Trust Secretary, Fran Stead, said: “As the Trust looks to develop its next three-year strategy it’s a pivotal time to be joining our Board with a focus on continuing to deliver sustainable services and exceptional outcomes for the people we serve. With the national policy changes within our sector, it is an exciting time to be part of the NHS and to join our Trust.

“I’d like to thank our out-going Chair and two Non-Executive Directors for everything that they have done whilst with our Trust, and for their considerable insight and experience to our work.”

The Trust provides a wide range of award-winning mental health, learning disability, physical health, and children’s public health services, in hospitals and community settings, across Bradford District and Craven.

An active member of both the Bradford and Craven, and West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnerships, the Trust is only one of two Trusts that provide an inpatient Centre of Excellence for people with learning disabilities and autism for West Yorkshire.

Arrangements are underway to start the recruitment process, with the aim for a successor to take up the Chair role in January 2026, and each of the two Non-Executive Director roles in December 2025 and April 2026.