Health Trust appoints new chief operating officer

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Arun Chandran as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) following a competitive recruitment process.
Arun is currently the Divisional Director of Operations at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and will join in the autumn.
Arun began his NHS career as a nurse and has held a variety of leadership roles in NHS trusts, including London North-West Healthcare Trusts, Royal Surrey Country NHS Foundation Trust and Gloucestershire Hospitals.
Arun said: “I am delighted to be joining Torbay and South Devon and looking forward to working with the Board, our teams and our colleagues to deliver better health and care for our communities.
“I’m really passionate about addressing health inequalities and also focused on high-quality patient care and supporting and developing colleagues and teams.
“I am keen to take forward the good work already started by teams across the Trust in transforming services and to play my part in supporting the wider health and care system, as we make further improvements in safety, quality, financial sustainability, integrated working and performance, and access to our services for people across Devon and Cornwall.
“On a personal note, my wife and I very much look forward to enjoying the lifestyle benefits of living in Devon and what it has to offer.”
Liz Davenport, Chief Executive, said: “I am very pleased that Arun has chosen to join us this autumn. He brings a passion for equality and inclusion, which aligns with our compassionate leadership framework and our vision to deliver better health and care for all.
“Arun’s input will be key to further developing our care model and transforming our clinical services so that they meet the needs of our communities now and in the future.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our interim Chief Operating Officer Jon Scott for his leadership and continued support.”
The role of the Chief Operating Officer is critical to ensuring consistent quality care for patients. Chief Operating Officers combine broad operational knowledge with strategic planning.
Welcome to Torbay and we all wish Arun every success in his new role.