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Hospital trust appoints non-executive director

Posted: 15 January 2021

Piture of Natalie Edwards non-executive director

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHHT) welcomes Natalie Edwards as a substantive non-executive director.

Natalie joined the board of WHHT as an associate non-executive director in March 2019. The role of associate non-executive director is designed for people who have the potential to succeed in a board-level role, but do not have the experience of working at this level. It offers the opportunity to broaden the range of skills on the board and to attract candidates from a greater mix of backgrounds.

As a substantive non-executive director, Natalie has full voting rights and will work to ensure the board acts in the best interests of patients and the public. Acting as critical friends, non-executive directors hold the executive directors to account, also working with them to formulate strategy by bringing independent, external perspectives.

Natalie brings 20 years' extensive human resources experience working in both strategic and operational roles, with a strong track record of delivering commercially focused people strategies and transformation programmes. Her positive experience of the trust's maternity services drove her interest to work with the board.

Natalie chairs the trust's 'people, education and research' committee, a member of the remuneration committee, and the nominated reserve non-executive for the audit committee. She also takes up the newly created role, 'Guardian of Wellbeing', seeking assurance that the trust’s wellbeing strategy continues to meet its goals. Passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion, Natalie is looking forward to working closely with the trust's BAME Connect Network.

Trust chairman Phil Townsend said: "Natalie's appointment as non-executive director is greatly welcomed. She has flourished during her time as an associate non-executive director and I look forward to having her input as a full member of the board."

  1. For more information, please contact the communications team on: 01923 436280 or email: wherts-tr.communications@nhs.net. For out of hours media enquiries please call the Watford General Hospital switchboard on 01923 244366 and ask for the on call communications manager.
  2. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves people from across Hertfordshire, north London and further afield. It operates from three hospitals: Watford General, St Albans City and Hemel Hempstead. The trust has a catchment area of over 500,000 people and is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff and volunteers.
  3. For more information about our hospitals, visit www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk. You can also join our followers on Twitter (twitter.com/westhertsNHS) and find us on Facebook (facebook.com/westhertsNHS).