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South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) and South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) have appointed Simon Ashton as their new Group Chief Executive, taking on executive leadership across both organisations.
The appointment follows a joint recruitment process and confirmation by both Councils of Governors. Ashton will take up the role in the autumn, leading the next phase of development for the emerging Ambulance Group and building on existing collaboration between the two trusts.
In the new role, he will work with Group Chair Colin Dennis, trust boards, governors and system partners to oversee the delivery of urgent and emergency care across the South East, with a focus on leadership, service quality and workforce engagement.
Ashton brings nearly 30 years of NHS experience, including more than a decade in executive leadership positions. A qualified physiotherapist, his career has spanned senior clinical, operational and strategic roles, covering large-scale service delivery, infrastructure programmes and partnership working across integrated care systems.
He currently serves as Chief Executive of Newham University Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust, where he has led improvement and transformation across hospital and wider system settings.
His appointment comes as SCAS and SECAmb continue to expand joint working in areas including workforce planning, digital development, clinical collaboration, service resilience and staff wellbeing.
Speaking on his appointment, Ashton said he was “honoured” to take on the role and praised the professionalism and dedication of staff across both trusts.
“I am excited to work with our colleagues, Boards, Governors and partners to build on the strong foundations already in place. Together, we will continue to strengthen collaboration, support our frontline teams and improve outcomes for patients, ensuring our ambulance services are resilient, responsive and sustainable for the future.”
Simon Ashton
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