CDIO becomes interim CEO at University Hospitals of Northamptonshire

The current group chief digital information officer (CDIO) is now acting as the interim CEO of University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group after the current group chief executive took leave.

Simon Weldon went on leave at short notice from his role as CEO of the group, which covers both Northampton General Hospital Trust (NGH) and Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust (KGH), for personal reasons.

Group chief digital information officer Andy Callow is now acting as interim in Weldon’s absence.

Weldon was previously director of operations and delivery at NHS England before becoming chief executive at Kettering Hospital in 2018, a role he held until he took up the position of CEO of the group in 2020.

An spokesperson for the trust said : “Simon Weldon, group CEO, is currently taking a period of leave due to personal reasons.  Whilst Simon is on leave from the organisation Andy Callow, group chief digital information officer, will be acting as interim group CEO working with our hospital CEOs, Debbie Needham at KGH and Heidi Smoult at NGH.”

The CDIO stepping up to become interim CEO comes ina year where Northamptonshire has seen various digital healthcare projects and go lives. Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust started a major project to digitise its medical records, which will improve clinician access.

Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership also announced back in May that the Northamptonshire Care Record has been launched across a number of pilot sites.