Debbie Fleming, chief executive of University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust, is to retire at the end of March next year.

Debbie said: “I feel incredibly privileged to be chief executive of such a fantastic organisation, made up of so many talented, skilled and dedicated people.  I am confident that having successfully achieved our merger and established a strong platform for our new organisation, our Trust is now well-placed to appoint a new chief executive, who will take UHD through the next important phase of its development as it continues to go from strength to strength.”

David Moss, chairman of UHD said: “Debbie has been a phenomenal leader, managing our hospitals through the Covid pandemic, our merger with the creation of UHD, and a very ambitious transformation programme to help improve our hospitals for the future care of the people of our region. We will now be seeking a new chief executive to take on this important role while Debbie continues to lead our organisation for the next six months.”

Debbie has been a chief executive for 20 years, both within the acute sector and a number of commissioning organisations. She was appointed chief executive for Poole Hospital in 2014 where she served for five years before being appointed as chief executive to the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals.  From January 2019, she led the merger of the two organisations, as joint chief executive over both.

She was formerly chief executive for Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust (PCT) then in 2010 was appointed chief executive for Hampshire PCT. She went on to hold the post of Area Director (Wessex) in NHS England, responsible for overseeing the setting up of the new “NHS architecture” across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.