The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has announced the appointment of Professor Joe Rafferty as its new Chair, succeeding Edward Astle who stepped down for personal family reasons.
Professor Rafferty will assume his new role on 1 May 2025, bringing over 20 years of board-level experience in NHS organisations.
Professor Rafferty is renowned for his commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and leveraging data to drive planning and decision-making. His distinguished career in healthcare includes serving as the Chief Executive of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust until his retirement in October 2024. During his 12-year tenure, he transformed Mersey Care into one of the largest and most successful mental and community health trusts in the UK.
In addition to his role at Mersey Care, Professor Rafferty played a pivotal role as the Out of Hospital Lead CEO for the Cheshire and Merseyside regional incident control centre during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also co-founded the Zero Suicide Alliance UK and led the NIHR Mental Health Mission for the NHS, establishing a national centre for mental health research at Liverpool University, where he is an honorary professor.
Commenting on his new role, Professor Rafferty said:
“I am thrilled to be appointed Chair of The Christie, returning to where I first began my career. I am looking forward to contributing to and growing The Christie’s already significant success.
“I aim to bring a collaborative and inclusive leadership approach to ensure the Board and Council of Governors achieve the right mix of ambitious outlook, strategy and capability to remain future focused and accountable to patients, staff and wider stakeholders.”
Professor Rafferty's extensive career spans performance, commissioning, and strategy roles in provider trusts, strategic health authorities, and central government. He has worked with NHS Central Lancashire, the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, and NHS North West. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, he holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from Queen’s University Belfast and began his career as a researcher at Cambridge University and the Paterson Institute.
Throughout his career, Professor Rafferty has published extensively in national and international healthcare journals, contributing to discussions on population health, system transformation, and leadership innovation. His appointment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is for an initial term of three years.
Image credit: iStock and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
