James Benson

Accountable Officer for the Trust, providing services to 4.1 million residents across 12 London Borough and Hertfordshire, providing 3.7+ million core patient contacts and 86,500+ bed days annually. The portfolio of 78 services covers services from birth to end-of-life and bereavement support. This includes sexual health, specialist commissioned dental and acute respiratory services.

Lead place-based Director for integration of health and care in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, ensuring coordinated healthcare across the City and Royal Borough.

CEO lead (as host) for the North West London procurement services across all health partners.

National Delivery Advisor to NHS England for Virtual Wards, ensuring, scrutinising and delivering the national ambition to have an increased more effective virtual ward programme.

Key Achievements

• Delivery of a sustained balanced financial plan within a capitated budget for three years and again predicted in 2025/26
• Ensuring the maintenance of quality and improving of patient access and workforce performance, driven by a 50% reduction in vacancies in 18 months, and a focus of strong performance management by teams
• A 27% reduction in attendances and 19% reduction in admissions in NWL for people experiencing homelessness through my place-based leadership role in North West London
• A refreshed and co-owned Health and Well-Being Strategy between the Local Authorities and Health Partners that focuses on the specific need of residents and ICB/Regional/National context
• The adoption of the first national ambulance service diversions (from stack) in the country to improve ambulance performance (East of England) through to integrated Virtual Wards
• In the national leadership for Virtual Wards, delivering in excess of 11,000 daily bed days (from 4,000) nationally with clear evidence of return of investment and improved patient flow

Accountable for the day-to-day operational management and service delivery of care to patients and for delivering the operational management of the trust’s services whilst improving quality within financial constraints. This included directly managing the Directors of Operations who are responsible for the delivery of performance in all clinical services across the Trust.

Accountable executive for emergency planning, and the operating delivery of services during Covid-19 pandemic.

Lead place-based Director for integration for health and care in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea

North West London ICB lead for flow/hospital discharge 2019-2021

Key Achievements

• Delivered a new operating performance standard, with reduction in patient waiting time by 47%
• Aligned services within the Trust to deliver place-based care on a geographic basis
• Improved relationships with key commissioners through improved and transparent performance
• North West London ICP lead for discharge, delivering consistency of process and improved patient flow, resulting in highest performing discharge performance in London
• Lead for place-based partnership in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea; brokering and delivering a consistent approach to collective delivery and accountability

Accountable for the delivery of Estates, Information Management and Technology, Improvement and Transformation, and Procurement.

Lead Director for the strategic Capita Partnership of non-clinical corporate services.

Key Achievements

• Delivered new information reporting programme for the Trust, resulting in transparency on operating performance, including a £37 million pound savings profile over 3 years
• Instigated new Health and Safety protocol and reporting for the Trust, with clarity on performance and risk management
• Redesign and simplification of the Improvement and Transformation agenda to bring clarity on delivery for the Board