Welcome to our Board
The Board is accountable for our vision, strategy, operational management, and financial decisions. We have a unitary Board which consists of fifteen Board Members including the Chair, seven voting Non -Executive Directors, and seven voting Executive Directors.
Executive Directors
Our Executive Directors are responsible for the day to day management of the Trust and are also part of the Board. They are lead by the Chief Executive.
Non-Executive Directors
Non-Executive Directors ensure that the Board acts in the best interests of our patients and community. They are appointed based on thier skill and experience for a specific term.
Trust Chair
The Trust Chair, who is a Non-Executive Director holds a dual role as Chair of the Board of Directors as well as the Council of Governors. This means that the Chair is responsible for leading both the Board and the Council of Governors to ensure that they are working together effectively.
Additionally, the Board also includes a Deputy Chair who deputises for the Chair when appropriate and a Senior Independent Director (SID) who is appointed by the Board made in consultation with the Council of Governors. The SID should act as the point of contact with the Board of Directors if Governors have concerns which approaches through normal channels have failed to resolve or for which such approaches are inappropriate. The SID may also act as the point of contact with the Board for Governors when they discuss for example the Chair's performance.
The Board works closely with our Council of Governors who represents the views of our local community.
Contacting the Board
All Board members may be contacted via the Corporate Governance Team via Corporate.meeting@swast.nhs.uk, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Abbey Court, Eagle Way, Exeter, EX2 7HY.
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Margaret Arnold
Non-Executive Director
Margaret began her NHS nursing career in North Devon, choosing Trauma and Orthopaedics as her career pathway. After 40 years, she left her last full-time role with the NHS as Chief Nurse for the Gloucestershire Acute Trust and over 10 years experience at Executive NHS Board Level.
Margaret has spent the last four years as a CCG Non-Executive Director as their governing Body Registered Nurse, initially with Swindon CCG then following a merger with BSW CCG, where she chaired the Primary Care Oversight & Assurance Committee vice chair and the At Scale Commissioning committee. Margaret has a Masters Degree in Health and Social care and is vastly experienced in dealing with Safeguarding issues at the highest level. She remains passionate about promoting a healthy and inclusive work culture, staff welfare and patient-centred care as well as being a Guardian for Wellbeing, raising concerns and an advocate for patient & staff safety.