Matthew Coats, the chief executive of West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, will be joining NHS England on a six-month secondment.
He has been appointed CEO Advisor to the New Hospitals Programme and will start in the role on April 1. He is due to return to West Herts in October.
Paul Bannister, the Trust’s highly experienced chief information officer, will act as the Trust’s acting chief executive during Matthew’s secondment.
Chair, Catherine Dugmore, said: “We have a very strong leadership team in place at West Herts, who have overseen a significant improvement in waiting times, treatment and cancer care over the last few years.
“We’ve gone from the bottom of the league tables four years ago to now being consistently in the Top 10 in the country for A&E waiting times. We have virtually eliminated corridor care, we have met the NHS’s three cancer standards for 12 consecutive months, and at the same time cut waiting lists.
“I’m delighted Paul has agreed to become our interim chief executive and his deep knowledge, experience and passion for the NHS will ensure we continue our relentless focus on improvement for our patients.
“We all wish Matthew well on his secondment, where he will add significant value, energy and leadership to their team.”