Dr Simon Harrod has been appointed as new clinical non-executive director at Royal United Hospitals (RUH) in Bath.

He has more than 40 years’ experience working with the NHS, with 25 of those being spent in hospital management.

Dr Harrod has led on a variety of changes to healthcare, including the introduction of electronic record systems and the development of patient safety systems within the NHS.

Having trained as an anaesthetist, Dr Harrod would become a consultant at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1996. He would then take up several medical management roles, before being appointed as the medical director for Royal London Hospital, a role he held from 2015 until retiring in 2022.

RUH provides a wide range of services where Dr Harrod’s experience will be useful. This includes medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, as well as clinical support services.

The RUH is also in control of Sulis Hospital Bath, which they acquired in 2021. This means that RUH takes care of a wider range of NHS patients both inside and outside of private care.

RUH also opened the Dyson Centre in April of this year, which brings the many different sections of cancer care at RUH under one roof, and includes oncology, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services as well as a 22-bed inpatient ward, a dedicated pharmacy, research team and nuclear medicine and physics teams.

The Dyson Centre also includes the Macmillan Hub, which is designed to provide a welcoming, non-clinical space designed around the needs of patients and their families.

The non-executive director role has a key focus on patient safety and care. Dr Harrod said of his new role: “I’ve had a career-long interest in patient safety and improving the quality of healthcare for all patients.

“I am looking forward to working with the board and using my experience in the health system to ensure the hospital continues to deliver high quality care for its patients. I aim to understand the needs of the local community and ensure these are reflected in the trust strategy.”

Non-executive directors are also important as they bring independent perspectives to the hospital boardroom, built from experience and expertise.

Alison Ryan, trust chair, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Dr Harrod to the board as a non-executive director. His wealth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable in offering strategic advice and support to the board.”