The Trust Board is the statutory authority, which sets the overall strategy for the Trust and monitors performance. The Trust has eight Non-Executive Directors, including the Chairman, and six Executive Directors. Non-Executive Directors bring an independent view to the decision making process of the Board.
Cara joined as the new Joint Chief Executive at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals, and Royal United Hospitals Bath and became the Accountable Officer on 1st November 2024 at each of the three Trusts.
Cara will be well known to many people in Salisbury and South Wiltshire as she served as our CEO from 2017 to 2020. Cara is an experienced and empathetic leader who has a reputation for creating a culture whereby staff and patients have an exceptional experience.
She is strongly focused on compassionate leadership and committed to creating an environment whereby people can thrive and be their authentic selves. She has been executive lead for the Acute Hospital Alliance since 2021 and is best placed to lead the three Trusts as they work together even more closely.
Cara qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1990 in Australia. She works hard to build relationships and to communicate effectively with diverse health and social care professionals; and develop and motivate large teams to deliver the best care possible for the people within her organisation and at system level.
Cara has been named as one of the NHS's top 50 Chief Executives four times - in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 - and in June 2019 she was awarded an MBE as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours for inspirational and outstanding leadership. This was in recognition of her leadership of Salisbury Foundation Trust during the Novichok incident. Also in June 2019, she was appointed Honorary Colonel of 243 (Wessex) Field Hospital, part of the Army Reserve Medical Services.
Nick was appointed Managing Director of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) on 1st September 2025. He is responsible for leading SFT and working with the SFT Executive team to run the Trust on a day-to-day basis.
Nick joined SFT from Dorset County Hospital (DCH) where he spent almost ten years in Executive Board roles, including two spells as the Interim Chief Executive. For the past two and a half years he combined his role as Deputy CEO of DCH with a joint executive role between DCH and Dorset Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (DHC), overseeing areas including strategy, transformation, improvement, digital and partnerships.
During his time in Dorset Nick collaborated with system partners to deliver system wide strategies and service improvements, secured funding for DCH's new ED and Critical Care unit, developed the Dorset Provider Collaborative, and jointly led the Working Together Programme creating the Federation between DCH and DHC. His first spell as Interim Chief Executive coincided with the first 5 months of the Covid pandemic and the second from January 22 to April 23 as DCH and DHC reviewed and established new leadership arrangements. Nick was also a member of the Wessex Health Innovation Network Board from 2017 until 2025.
Nick joined DCH in 2016 from the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, where he was responsible for strategy and commercial development projects, including establishing an innovative commercial development joint venture. Prior to that he was responsible for business development and bid management at a large, multi-national infrastructure and support services provider, focussing on strategic public private partnerships. Nick has also worked in several local authorities delivering innovative strategic partnerships, contract management and service transformation. Nick has a MSc from Warwick Business School and started his career on the National Graduate Development Programme for Local Government.
Duncan has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years after medical training in Cape Town. He joined SFT in January 2000 as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, having completed specialist training in the Oxford region, with additional experience in Sydney.
He has held a number of medical leadership roles in the organisation over the last 16 years at service and divisional level, most recently as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Associate Medical Director for the BSW Acute Hospital Alliance.
Duncan was appointed as interim Chief Medical Officer in August 2024, and to the substantive position in October 2024.
Judy joined the Trust in 2020 from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust where she was formerly Deputy Director of Nursing. Prior to that she was the Lead for Clinical Assurance and Quality Governance at Southampton University Hospital.
Judy’s extensive nursing background has been predominantly based in Intensive care at Southampton University Hospitals and Guys and St Thomas’, she holds an MSc in Advanced Critical Care Practice and a post Graduate Certificate in Research from Kings College London.
Judy completed an internship with the National Institute in Research, undertaking primary research related to critical care. She also worked at the University of Southampton for 2 years as a visiting lecturer in the Faculty Heath Science, tutoring under and post graduate student nurses.
She is focused on continuous quality improvement to ensure the best possible care is provided to the people that use our services.
Mark has worked in the Trust as Deputy Chief Finance Officer was appointed as Chief Finance Officer in August 2022, responsible for the Trust’s Finance, Payroll, and Procurement departments. Mark has over 18 years’ NHS finance experience, working in senior finance positions at a number of NHS Trusts across Hampshire and Berkshire until joining the Trust in late 2017. Mark has an undergraduate masters degree in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford and obtained Chartered Management Accountant status as part of the NHS Graduate Training Scheme.
Niall joined the Trust as Chief Operating Officer in January 2024. He brings to us significant NHS operational management experience having previously worked within the BSW and Bristol systems. Before joining SFT, Niall had Interim Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Operating Officer roles at the Royal United Hospital Bath. Prior to working within Bath, he also undertook director roles within transformation, commissioning and divisional management. Niall has a strong track record of helping services through to supporting clinical teams to find their own solutions to the current challenges, helping services to innovate and evolve to ensure excellent patient outcomes and experience.
Eiri is a Registered Nurse; has an MA in Professional Development; and is a QSIR Practitioner. Eiri has clinical, managerial and executive leadership knowledge and skills gained during a career spanning over 40 years. Eiri has held senior and board positions in a range of Trusts in England and Wales and has also held regional (Trust Development Authority), national (Welsh Government and State of Qatar) and regulatory (Nursing and Midwifery Council) appointments. Eiri is currently contracted to Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board as a part-time Programme Director. Other contracts were in leading the implementation of GIRFT in the South West of England; as an interim Quality Manager at NHS Crawley CCG; and interim Director of Quality Governance at Barts Health NHS Trust. Her last permanent job was as the Director of Nursing for the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (2012 – 2014).
Dr Anne Stebbing joined the Trust in July 2024. Anne is chair of the Clinical Governance Committee and a member of the Charitable Funds Committee and Remuneration Committee.
Debbie is a qualified accountant and experienced executive and board director. She has a career spanning 25 years in financial leadership, from which she brings sound financial expertise around good governance, financial improvement plans and long-term financial modelling. Debbie also works as a Non-Executive Director at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, chairing their finance committee and working with the board to help evolve their health and care plans and trust strategy.
Richard joined the Trust in January 2023. Richard has had a wide range of senior appointments with responsibility for business services, including IT, HR, estates, and infrastructure. However, Richard’s fundamental background is in finance and assurance as FD and COO, and corporate governance as Company Secretary. Richard currently chairs an audit committee for a multi-academy school trust and is also appointed to the audit committee for two other charities that support people and communities in the wider Bristol area. He has been instrumental in improving organisational systems of control and assurance in organisations across many sectors ranging from both large corporate organisations to small charities, from public to private, and from education to manufacturing and construction.
Dr Paul Cain joined the Trust in June 2024. He is a member of the Trust's Finance and Performance Committee, Clinical Governance Committee and Remuneration Committee.
From being a Consultant in Occupational and Aviation Medicine in the Army with patient facing roles, he then focused entirely on healthcare leadership. This included leading hospitals and pre-hospital trauma systems during conflicts and the military’s integrated healthcare system during COVID 19. As DG Operations at the newly formed UK Health Security Agency, Paul was part of the senior leadership team directing the response to the Omicron variant and the Commonwealth Games. During these he implemented multi-million pound transformation programs delivering better organisational structures and modernising the health IT systems. Paul believes strongly in empowering and developing people to be the best they can and critically, not losing sight of delivering the kind of results that ensure organisations are doing their absolute best for patients.
Rakhee Aggarwal joined the Trust in January 2020 on a 3 year term. Rakhee has been a mental health nurse since 1999; she has a BSc in Behavioural Studies (Psychology); and a Masters in Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals. She has worked for the University of the West of England for the past 15 years as a Senior Lecturer; Associate Head of Nursing and Midwifery - Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing; Associate Head of Nursing and Midwifery - Adult Nursing; and as Associate Head of Nursing and Midwifery - Continuing Professional Development. She is leading and developing the CPD Education provision for the NHS and private and voluntary sectors. In addition to her work at the University she has been a Non-Executive Director with the South Western Ambulance Trust since 2017.
Our staff at Salisbury District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.