The Minister of Health has announced the appointment of Professor Patrick Geoghegan OBE as the interim Director General of the GHA. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

Following an appointment process today involving the Minister of Health, the Financial Secretary  and the Vice Chair of the GHA Board Professor Ian Cumming, the Minister of Health is delighted  to announce the appointment of Professor Patrick Geoghegan OBE as the interim Director  General of the GHA. 

Professor Geoghegan will commence in post on 10th January 2022 for a  period of up to 18 months whilst a process is undertaken to appoint his permanent successor. The  appointment is an interim one so that a full, open and transparent recruitment process can be  undertaken over the period of the 18 month appointment of Professor Geoghegan. 

Professor Geoghegan has over 45 years experience in healthcare having started his career as a  clinician in mental health before moving into healthcare leadership and management in the  NHS. Patrick was Chief Executive of one of the largest, highest performing NHS Trusts in  the UK with a workforce of over 12,200 for over 20 years. Under his stewardship the  organisation was consistently rated as excellent by external assessment bodies. Patrick has also  received a number of awards recognising his excellence in leadership including the Starkey Award  from the Royal Society of Public Health, NHS Leader of The Year and the Order of the British  Empire (OBE). He is renowned internationally as a leading champion for transforming Health and  Social Services and for his passionate support for staff developing modern healthcare services. 

Professor Geoghegan has been in Gibraltar since May 2021 working on the delivery and execution  of the National Mental Health Strategy. He has already established a working relationship with  the GHA. 

The Minister of Health and Care, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, said “I am pleased and  recognise that we are very fortunate that we have been able to appoint someone of Patrick’s  calibre to this critical role on an interim basis. Patrick is well know to us in Gibraltar having already  undertaken excellent work with the GHA for the last 6 months helping transform our Mental  Health Services. Because of his dynamic style and experience, I have no doubt that there will  immediate improvements in the GHA that will be felt throughout the organisation and the  community. I am very excited for the future of the GHA which I have no doubt will benefit  Gibraltar. 

Prof Patrick Geoghegan OBE, said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the interim Director  General for the GHA. Over the last six months I have met many members of staff across the GHA  and been impressed with their commitment and dedication. Throughout my career I have sought  to develop positive working relationships with staff and I see these working relationships as a  fundamental part of delivering the “Reset, Restart and Recover” process that was announced by  the Minister last week. I am really looking forward to commencing in post in Gibraltar in early  January”. 

Prof Ian Cumming OBE, Chair of the GHA Board , added: “Patrick’s appointment is a key step in  the GHA starting to deliver against the Reset, Restart and Recover programme announced by  Minister Sacramento last week. Over the next few weeks additional members of the board will be  identified allowing the reconfigured board to meet in its new format early in 2022.”