Letter from our new CEO, Tom Abell

Dear colleagues,

I wanted to write to introduce myself as the new Chief Executive of EEAST before I formally start later this year. It goes without saying that I’m delighted to have been appointed as Chief Executive and am really looking forward to working with you.

Having grown up in Norfolk and spent the vast majority of my career working across the East of England, I know the difference you all make to the people we serve.  I also know that, despite the professional and personal challenges we have all faced during the pandemic, EEAST has performed incredibly well operationally - something which I hope you are all very proud of.

However, there is much to do.  Many of you have spoken up about how the culture needs to change.  I know much work is already underway to create a positive culture at EEAST, and I’ve been really impressed by the commitment of those of you who I’ve met so far to make this change.

I strongly believe that no one person or individual will be able to make these changes alone, and therefore we all have a personal and collective responsibility to work together to see this through.  As Chief Executive, a key part of my role will be to remove some of the blocks which have got in the way previously and to empower, support and equip you so we are all able to drive the improvements we want to see.

These changes won’t happen overnight, and there will be difficulties on our way, but I am convinced that we can become a great place to work for all, regardless of our role, where we work, our age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or any other characteristic we may have. 

These changes are ultimately the best way to make sure we provide excellent care to everyone in the East of England for the long-term, which I know is something we all want to see for ourselves, our families and our friends.

Thanks for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to joining and meeting you later this year.

 

Regards,

Tom

Published 6th May 2021