Care Trust appoints Interim Chief Medical Officer

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Dr Salim Uka to the role of Interim Chief Medical Officer, following the retirement of Medical Director Dr David Sims.

Dr Uka, known as Sal, will be joining from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust where he is currently Interim Executive Medical Director. In this role, he is responsible for the professional leadership of the medical workforce, medical education and training, and research, with joint responsibility for quality and safety.

Sal has extensive operational and corporate leadership experience with a passion for service improvement and transformation, and a strong strategic and collaborative approach.

Speaking of his appointment, Sal said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role of Interim Chief Medical Officer, and the opportunity to further develop services, working closely with the clinical and leadership teams and partners at the Trust.

“With the NHS 10-year plan and the shift from hospital to community healthcare, it’s an exciting time to help shape services that meet the communities’ needs.”

Sal qualified from the University of Leeds in 1999.  Following postgraduate training across Yorkshire and the Humber, he was appointed Paediatric Consultant at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. Whilst there, he held several clinical leadership roles including Clinical Director for Children’s Services, Divisional Director for Diagnostics and Therapeutic Services, and Associate Medical Director, initially for quality and safety, and then medical workforce.

In 2020, Sal was appointed as the Medical Lead for the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts, which is the provider collaborative for all acute hospitals across West Yorkshire, working closely with health, care, and voluntary partners.

Alongside his clinical role, Sal is a Trustee for Overgate Hospice in Halifax.

Therese Patten, Chief Executive at the Care Trust, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Sal to our organisation and to the role. He brings valuable experience, particularly around service transformation, as we continue to review how and where we deliver our services, ideally caring for people as close to home as we can.”

Sal will take up his role at the Trust on 6 October 2025.   Plans are now underway to recruit to the substantive role.