Executive Directors

David Carter Chief Executive 2017

David Carter
Chief Executive

David was appointed as the Chief Executive of the Trust following the merger in April 2020. Previously David had been the Chief Executive of Luton & Dunstable Hospital since 2017 and prior to that Managing Director. David has over 20 years’ experience as a Board Director for various NHS bodies including acute trusts, mental health, community and primary care trusts. He has a wealth of experience of service integration and will use this experience to deliver the benefits of the merger for the people of Bedfordshire. David’s background is in finance and prior to joining the NHS he spent seven years at KPMG working in audit and consultancy where he qualified as an accountant.

David is passionate about establishing the Trust as a values-based organisation which truly values and supports its staff. This is allied with a strong belief in the devolution of decision making to the front line in order to provide better quality and more efficient services, with services built around clinical leadership at the heart of decision making.

David also chairs the Bedfordshire Care Alliance, a partnership of the local health and care organisations committed to coming together to integrate services for the local population.

  • Trust Accountable Officer
  • Bedfordshire Care Alliance
  • A&E Delivery Board
  • Integrated Care Services for the Acute Provider
  • Integration
Cathy Jones Dep CE July 20

Cathy Jones
Deputy Chief Executive

Cathy was appointed as the Deputy Chief Executive of the Trust following the merger in April 2020. Previously Cathy had been the Deputy Chief Executive of Luton & Dunstable Hospital since 2018, and had been the acting Deputy Chief Executive from May 2017. Her previous post was as Director of Service Development. Cathy joined the L&D in 2007 and has held various general management posts in the divisions of Medicine and Surgery. In August 2016 she was seconded to the Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes STP programme team as Programme Director for Secondary Care.

After completing her BSc in Physiology at the University of Liverpool, Cathy started her NHS career as an Information Analyst working for shared services in Hertfordshire, following which she spent three years at Northampton General Hospital working in Service Development. Cathy’s particular interests are in service improvement and transformation, and she is strongly committed to maintaining the Trust’s excellent reputation for delivery of high quality clinical services for our patients.

  • Deputises for Chief Executive
  • Clinical Service Lines
  • Operational management
  • Performance
  • Business Development
Matt Gibbons headshot

Matt Gibbons 
Director of Finance

Matthew was appointed Director of Finance for the Trust in October 2019, and was acting Director of Finance from January 2019. Matthew joined the organisation in 2002 from the NHS Graduate Training scheme and was Deputy Director of Finance from 2008. In a long career with the Hospital Matthew has played key roles in the successful Foundation Trust application in 2006, the introduction of Service Line Reporting and the development of a Finance team that has a strong track record of Financial governance & support for the Clinical Service Lines.

  • Finance
  • Financial Management
  • Procurement
  • Sustainability Champion
Paul Tisi Joint Medical Director July 20 3

Mr Paul Tisi
Medical Director

Mr Paul Tisi qualified from The Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1988 and trained in vascular surgery in the Wessex region. He undertook a two year period of research at University of Southampton obtaining a Master of Surgery higher degree (Assessment and Treatment of Intermittent Claudication). Mr Tisi was appointed as Consultant Vascular and General Surgeon at Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital in 2001. He undertook the role of Clinical Subdean (University of Cambridge) between 2005 and 2010 and obtained a PGCert. in Medical Education.

Following leadership roles as Associate Medical Director and subsequently Divisional Medical Director for Planned Care he graduated from the NHS Leadership Academy’s Nye Bevan Programme. He was appointed as Medical Director for Bedford Hospital NHS Trust in 2016 and following merger he is now in post as Medical Director and Responsible Officer.

Aside from his board role he maintains a clinical practice with specific interest in management of venous disease. He is an editor for Cochrane Vascular and represented Midlands and East on the National Clinical Reference Group for Vascular Surgery for 6 years. He was appointed to the East of England Clinical Senate Council in 2019.

  • Executive board responsibilities
  • Responsible Officer
  • Mortality, Learning from Deaths
  • Serious Incidents
  • Medical Education
  • Joint responsibility (with Deputy CEO) for Clinical  Directors
  • Chair of JLNC meetings
  • Maintaining High Professional Standards
  • GIRFT (Getting it Right First Time)
Liz Lees portrait photo

Liz Lees
Chief Nurse

Liz trained as a nurse at Guy’s Hospital in London and has been covering nursing and operational roles at all levels ever since in different wards and departments, from surgery to cancer and palliative care. She brings vast experience in both operational and clinical roles in the NHS. Liz was awarded an MBE for services to nursing in 2016. Her insights of the challenges of bringing together clinical teams, taking the best of both and achieving the right balance, means that Liz is well placed to help shape the future of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

  • Board Safety Champion (maternity)
  • Infection Control
  • Safeguarding
  • N&M Quality Standards
  • N&M Training & Education
  • Equality and Diversity
  • Patient Experience
  • PALS & Complaints
Angela Doak headshot

Angela Doak
Director of Human Resources

Appointed Director of Human Resources in July 2011, Angela has over 20 years’ experience in Human Resources and Organisational Development in acute NHS Trusts. Just prior to joining the Trust Angela held the post of Director of HR in a Foundation Trust. She has a strong track record in providing high quality HR services and her particular areas of interest and expertise include dealing with major organisational change, complex employee relations cases and also employment matters concerning medical staff.

  • Human Resources
  • Recruitment
  • Occupational Health
  • Training and Development
  • Medical Workforce
  • Organisational Development
  • Health and Wellbeing
Catherine Thorne Director of Quality headshot

Catherine Thorne
Director of Quality and Safety Governance

Catherine was originally appointed as Director of Quality and Safety in October 2018 for the Luton and Dunstable NHS University Foundation Trust and, following merger with Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, now holds the Director of Quality and Safety Governance role for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Previously she has held senior roles as Director of Corporate Development, Governance and Assurance at Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust from 2014 and prior to that as Director of Governance at London North West Healthcare NHS Hospital Trust from 2008.

Catherine started her career clinically within radiotherapy and oncology services, transitioning into a variety of senior NHS roles in quality assurance, service improvement and governance.

She has a strong commitment to the use of continual quality improvement in ensuring the provision of safe clinical services, delivery of excellent outcomes and fostering an atmosphere that provides a good experience for our patients and their families set within a learning environment for staff.

  • Quality Governance
  • Medical Legal Services
  • Clinical Audit and Effectiveness
  • Clinical Risk Management