THE Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), Steve Williamson, has announced he will be leaving Cornwall in April to take up a new senior role in the North of England.

Mr Williamson will become Chief Executive Officer at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, bringing to an end a four-year period leading Cornwall’s main acute hospital trust.

His departure marks the conclusion of a tenure during which RCHT delivered significant improvements in performance, patient care and long-term investment.

Since taking up the role, Mr Williamson has overseen a series of major achievements. Among the most notable has been a substantial reduction in elective waiting times, alongside RCHT being ranked among the top ten trusts in England for cancer waiting times.

The Trust has also strengthened urgent and emergency care services, improved patient safety performance and secured major research investment to support innovation and clinical excellence.

One of the most significant developments during his leadership was the approval of a new Women and Children’s Hospital for Cornwall. The project is set to become the largest single capital investment in the county’s healthcare history and is expected to transform services for families across the region. In addition, RCHT has continued to modernise its digital infrastructure, including progress on its eCare programme.

More recently, the Trust was named as one of only three NHS trusts in the South West to achieve the highest performance segment in the new National Operational Framework assessment. RCHT was also ranked among the top 20 NHS Acute Trusts nationally, further underlining the progress made over the past four years.

Speaking about his decision to move on, Mr Williamson said: “It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside such talented and committed colleagues at RCHT. Together, we’ve faced challenges whilst making significant progress in improving care for our patients.

“I will always carry immense pride in what the amazing teams have here at RCHT and across the wider health and care system have made it possible to accomplish.”

Tributes have been paid to Mr Williamson by RCHT’s Chair, David Allen, who said: “I want to express our deepest gratitude to Steve for his exceptional leadership and dedication over the past four years.

“Steve has played such an important role in securing investment for our hospitals, overseeing significant improvements in our performance and patient safety, and ensuring RCHT and Cornwall has had a voice in regional and national developments. Steve’s vision and passion will leave a lasting legacy at RCHT.”

RCHT has confirmed its focus remains firmly on improving patient care and safety during the transition. Key priorities include the continued rollout of eCare and further development work on the new Women and Children’s Hospital. Plans are also in place to maintain momentum on operational performance and service improvement.

The recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer is expected to begin early in the New Year, with further updates to be provided in due course.