In early 2021, after 16 years as chief executive, Bob Bell announced his retirement.
Responding to the announcement, Trust chair, Baroness Morgan of Huyton (Sally Morgan), described the contribution Bob made during his tenure:
“It is no mean feat trying to encapsulate Bob’s significant achievements but I do not want to let this opportunity pass without putting on the record my immense debt of gratitude to him for his leadership during my own tenure.
“To be an effective chief executive there are a number of qualities that are essential, some that are desirable and others that take a candidate from good to exceptional. To have a chief executive who demonstrates all these qualities is rare indeed – yet that is what I found when I joined the Trust in 2017.
“Bob is resilient, committed, driven, strong, determined, astute and visionary. But he is also kind and compassionate; unable to tolerate inequality or unfairness. His views on unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape are well known, yet he resolutely follows due process and procedure when appropriate.
“His unswerving loyalty to staff and to the patients under our care has a place in NHS folklore. In 2011 he went to the High Court to protect the Trust, when others would have taken a much less controversial and easier option. In 2017 he marched alongside many of us through the streets of Chelsea when further threats were on the horizon. But his resolve to protect the Trust at all costs began years before this. In 2005, soon after he arrived and following the cancellation of the Paddington Health Campus project, Bob ensured a plan by the Strategic Health Authority to close Harefield Hospital never saw the light of day.
“It is fitting that as Bob begins the final chapter of his leadership, he has ensured that an exciting and secure future awaits all of us as we plan to join Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Our vision to combine the specialist cardio-respiratory expertise of two of the country’s most respected and successful Trusts, in a partnership that will create unrivalled opportunities to improve patient care, enhance research and innovation programmes and develop outstanding training and career possibilities, will in many ways be his legacy.”
In his farewell letter to staff, Bob said:
“My 16 years leading the Trust have been fascinating, infuriating, enjoyable, challenging and without doubt, the most rewarding of my 49-year career. I am deeply proud of all the things we have achieved together at Royal Brompton, Harefield and Wimpole Street.
“When planning my retirement, I could never have predicted that it would take place in the midst of a global pandemic. And while my respect and admiration for you, our talented workforce, was always high, the way you have responded to a series of immensely challenging situations over the past year has been exceptional. I am not a person who normally struggles for words, but when considering the immense obstacles you have overcome, the focus with which you have put patients first, time and time again, words seem inadequate. Courage, commitment, compassion, resilience, determination and strength, are as close as I can get.
“One of our greatest strengths has always been our ability to provide a very personal approach to care. Patients often comment on the ‘family’ feel of our hospitals and thank us for treating them as individuals. I like to think that we adopt the same approach with each other, and the support I have received over the years is testament to this.
“It was never going to be easy to step back from my role; I am one of those fortunate people who genuinely loves his job. But to be moving on at a time when the Trust is moving up, makes it easier to relinquish my responsibilities.
“Our merger with Guy’s and St Thomas’ creates an unparalleled opportunity on the NHS landscape.
“The advantages of moving forward with a partner of choice, with shared values and vision, are immense. Creating a new academic model by building on our strong relationship with Imperial College, developing new collaborations with King’s College, and investigating other strategic alliances, will support our mission to deliver cutting-edge, specialist services to patients now and in the future.
“The foundation trust may disappear on 1 February, but I leave Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, each with a reputation that spans the globe, stronger and more sustainable than when I arrived in 2004. The expertise and knowledge that sits within our organisation is unique, our combined skills are a force to be reckoned with.
“Thank you for giving me 16 of the most memorable years of my life.”
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