Meet our Board
Last updated: 29/07/2024
The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for leading the organisation. The main role of the Board of Directors is to guide the overall strategic direction of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust including planning for our current challenges and future priorities - ensuring that we can set and meet our objectives.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is an authorised Public Benefit Corporation as defined by the National Health Service Act 2006 and is regulated by the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts known as NHS England (used to be called Monitor).
As a Public Benefit Corporation, the Trust is required to comply with governance standards set out in the NHS Act, its Terms of Authorisation, the Foundation Trust Constitution, the Foundation Trust Code of Governance, and sundry other regulatory requirements.
The Trust is required to have a Council of Governors and a Board of Directors.
The Board is made up of directors, including the chief executive, who are full time senior staff, together with an independent non-executive chair and non-executive directors.
UHBW’s Chair and Chief Executive are also the Chair and Chief Executive of North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), holding joint roles across the two organisations. Since we formed Bristol NHS Group, UHBW’s Board meets in common with the Board of NBT, meaning that the two Boards meet together at the same time and place, and have a shared agenda.
The key Committees that feed into Board can be seen here.
Key publications such as Annual Reports, our Constitution and our Registers of Interests can be found on our Reports and Publications page.
Group Chair: Ingrid Barker
A qualified social worker, Ingrid has over 25 years of NHS board level experience. This has included roles as Chair at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Chair of Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and ²gether NHS Foundation Trust and as a Non-Executive Director of NHS Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust. She is also an active Governor at the University of Gloucestershire.
Ingrid’s drive and commitment to the provision of high-quality services, accessible to all, is evidenced in her national policy and service redevelopment roles, notably leading on the transformation of mental health services community provision. She was also a Trustee and Board member of NHS Providers between 2013 and 2021, elected to represent Community Trusts across England.
Group Chief Executive: Maria Kane OBE
Maria Kane OBE was appointed as Joint Chief Executive of North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in July 2024. Prior to this she was Chief Executive of NBT from April 2021.
Maria previously worked as Chief Executive of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust from 2017 until 2021, as Chief Executive of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust between 2007 and 2017, and as Executive Director at North West London Strategic Health Authority between 2002 and 2006. Maria has held a variety of senior roles in corporate and strategic development for the Royal College of Midwives, Medical Protection Society and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.
In 2019, Maria was made an OBE for services to health care leadership over two decades, particularly in North London.
Maria is Chair of Bristol Health Partners, a member of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, and sits on the board of Health Innovation West of England. She is also the South West representative for the NHS Genomics Board, and is the representative for the South West on the NHS Impact National Improvement Board.
Maria has previously been a trustee of Open Door, Umbrella Mental Health, and Young Minds, as well as an adviser to the Lullaby Trust and a special adviser to the Care Quality Commission. She was also chair of governors of a primary school for ten years.
Hospital Managing Director: Professor Stuart Walker
Professor Stuart Walker is an experienced NHS Chief Medical Officer and previous Deputy Chief Executive and Interim Chief Executive. He has a background in a broad range of senior leadership positions and, as a prior Cardiologist of 18 years standing, significant senior clinical experience.
Before coming to UHBW in Feb 2022 Stuart worked at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board as MD, Deputy CEO and then Interim CEO. He has also held prior executive, and senior leadership, roles in the English NHS for example as MD at Taunton and Somerset NHS FT, and Chief Medical Officer at TSFT and Somerset Partnership FT. He was awarded the title of Honorary Professor by Cardiff University in 2021.
Stuart joined the Trust on 21 February 2022 as Chief Medical Officer, acted as Interim Chief Executive from January to September 2024 and was appointed Hospital Managing Director for UHBW, for an initial period of 12 months, on Monday 2 September 2024.
Click here to find out about our UHBW Executive Directors and Non-executive Directors.