John Goulston has been appointed as Interim Chair of the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP).
John, (pictured right) is also Chair for Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. He brings more than 25 years of experience of working at Board level to the role of overseeing the work of the STP in transforming the health and care system across the county.
John said: “I am privileged to be able take on the role of chair of the STP at a time when the vital importance of the NHS and care services has never been more clear. I am joining the ranks of colleagues who have proven just how hard they are working to provide care to our patients at a very challenging time. I am proud of how our people across all health and care services in the county have pulled together during our Covid-19 response.
"We owe it to their dedication and to our patients, to make sure we are providing services that will transform the lives of the people of Kent and Medway for the better. The improvements we will deliver will make sure we continue to have an NHS that we can be proud of and supports us and our families throughout our lives.”
The Sustainability and Transformation Partnership Board includes leaders from across health and care in Kent and Medway, including all NHS organisations, Kent County Council and Medway Council. Over the next year, the STP will change to become the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System. Key priorities include improving children’s services, mental health care, GP services and cancer care and reducing heath inequalities.
Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the STP and Accountable Officer for NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, Wilf Williams said: “We are delighted John is joining us as our new STP interim chair. The chair undertakes a key oversight role, making sure our work is delivered to the highest quality. He will be sharing his insight and expertise into how services should be delivered and what our communities expect from us.
“I would also like to personally thank our previous Interim Chair, David Highton, whose term ended on 31 March. David took on the role in July 2019, while maintaining his position as Chair of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. We are very grateful for his time and contribution.
“This has been, and will continue to be, a particularly challenging time for the NHS as we respond to Covid-19. We must make sure the NHS remains open to people with all types of health needs and continues to improve, making sure the many positive innovations we have seen from our care partners during our pandemic response are built upon as we continue to improve services for our population.
"John’s past roles in health and his experience of working in the Kent system will be invaluable as we work with local communities to change health and care for the better.”
As well as his role as Interim Chair of the Kent and Medway STP, John will continue as Chair at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT). During his time at KCHFT, the trust became only the third community provider in the country to be rated as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.
John also chairs the NHS London Procurement Partnership, which has delivered more than £250m savings for the NHS in London over the past two years. Previously, John was a NHS chief executive for 10 years at a joint acute and community provider and at an acute provider, and an executive director for 15 years at NHS London, (the strategic health authority) and at two London teaching hospitals.
John is married with three children. His wife is a community physiotherapist and his daughter is a specialist registrar in elderly care.
