British Indian medical expert Professor Meghana Pandit is the first female to be appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and has pledged to lead one of the country’s leading NHS trusts with “compassion and respect”.
Prof. Pandit, also the first person of Indian heritage to be appointed CEO of any NHS trust in the Shelford Group – representing some of the biggest teaching hospitals of the UK, was serving as the interim CEO at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) since July 2022 and was permanently appointed to the post last week after a “rigorous and competitive process” involving an extensive national and international recruitment search.
She said: “It is a privilege to be asked to lead OUH on a permanent basis and I look forward to continue working with colleagues at OUH, our partners in the health and social care system in Oxfordshire and across the BOB Integrated Care System, our partner universities, and Oxford Hospitals Charity, to ensure the highest quality of research and innovation enabled care for our patients and populations.
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"I am proud to have the opportunity to continue leading with compassion and respect for others, with a desire for excellence.”
Prof. Pandit has an impressive CV, having trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Oxford Deanery and served as Visiting Lecturer in Urogynaecology at University of Michigan in the US. She went on to serve as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) within the National Health Service (NHS) trusts and led the development of clinical strategy with responsibility of overseeing hundreds of doctors. She is also an Honorary Professor at Warwick University and Associate Fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford.
All members of the interview panel unanimously agreed that she was the preferred candidate for appointment and this recommendation was approved at a meeting of the Council of Governors recently. The interview panel included the OUH Trust's Chair, Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, two other non-executive directors and lead governor, and also the chair of the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) and the Regional Director for NHS England's South East region.
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Prof. Montgomery said: "I am delighted that Meghana has now been appointed to the CEO role on a permanent basis and I am looking forward to working with her personally in what promises to be an exciting new era under her leadership.
"She gave an outstanding interview which demonstrated her preparation, passion, and desire to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer on a permanent basis. Meghana has a strong focus on staff engagement and building the patient voice into the strategic development of the trust and her approach is strongly aligned with our trust values and with our vision of delivering compassionate excellence to our patients."
As CEO, Prof. Pandit would be responsible, along with the NHS Chief Executive, as the parliamentary accountable officer for ensuring that the organisation works effectively in accordance with national policy and public service values.
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