Neil Macdonald has been appointed as the new Chief Executive for University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) NHS Trust following an open and competitive recruitment process. He will join us on Monday 6 October 2025.
Neil has been Chief Executive with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust since March 2018. Prior to this he was part of the Trust Board for 3 years as Chief Operating Officer. Read more here.
Jo Beer to take on new Chief Executive role with Sirona
Jo Beer, Chief Operating Officer, is leaving the Trust to take up a new role as Chief Executive of Sirona Care & Health
A nurse by profession who trained in Plymouth, Jo has been Chief Operating Officer with UHP since 2021.
She said: “UHP has been such a huge part of my life — from starting my journey here as a student nurse in 1986, to leaving in 2025 as Chief Operating Officer.
“It’s hard to put into words what this organisation and the people within it mean to me. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, the unwavering support I’ve received, and most of all, for the privilege of working alongside truly exceptional colleagues. Read more here.
University Hospitals Plymouth treats first patient with new cryoablation technique
UHP has treated its first patient using a new cryoablation technique for kidney cancer, and in doing so has become the first NHS Trust in the South West to offer the service.
Cryotherapy is a technique that kills cancer cells by freezing them. It is particularly useful in treating small, early-stage renal cancers. Small needles are inserted into the cancer and a cold gas used, which kills the cells. This treatment is also called cryoablation, or freezing therapy. Read more here.
£1.8 Million to improve patient care
UHP is pleased to announce the receipt of over £1.8 million in grant funding from the Department of Health and Social Care. This investment is designated for essential ventilation system enhancements in two key areas: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Postbridge Ward.
The allocation includes £1 Million for the NICU, which provides specialised care for extremely preterm and critically ill newborns across the South West Peninsula, which includes Exeter, Torbay, Barnstaple, Truro, and Plymouth. A further £815,000 is allocated to Postbridge Ward, the Trust’s day-case and overnight recovery unit. Read more here.
Welcoming the NHS 10 Year Health Plan in Plymouth
Chief Executive Mark Hackett said: “We welcome the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published today. We would like to thank all those people – our staff, volunteers, patients, carers and the public – who engaged with us around the shaping of the national plan. We worked with partners across Devon and heard many moving, personal experiences, interesting insights, people’s hopes and fears for the NHS and we gathered and fed all these in to help form this national plan. We are also using that insight to help us shape local plans for the future. Read more here.
Also in this issue:
- Building developments at Derriford Hospital and beyond
- AGM 2025: Developing a High Quality Organisation
- One year to go to UHP’s Electronic Patient Record
- Plymouth to Establish a Health Research, Education, Enterprise and Innovation Zone
- Plymouth’s Largest Anchor Institutions Unite in a Pioneering Collaboration to Tackle Inequality