New boss for Medway Maritime Hospital
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Moneyman Mark Orchard is to become the seventh boss of the troubled Medway Maritime Hospital at Gillingham in 10 years.
The deputy Chief Executive Officer for Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust and the Isle of Wight Trust will be moving from Hampshire to Kent in the autumn.
He has held several finance director posts, including as a finance director lead for NHS Providers, and has served as president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
He said this week he wanted to create an “environment where staff feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive.”
He said: “During my first few months in post, I will spend time meeting as many patients, members of staff, governors, volunteers and community partners as possible, listening carefully to what matters most to people and building on the progress already under way.”
Patients and staff are all hoping he can turn the hospital around.
Since 2015 there has been a revolving door as CEOs have come and gone. Some have been better than others.
Lesley Dwyer (2015 – 2018) was the first great hope. She was brought over from Australia where she ran 18,000 staff for the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and managed to lead the trust out of special measures in 2017. It was widely thought she wanted to return to Oz but she is now group chief executive of the newly-formed Norfolk and Waveney University Hospital Group.
James Devine (2018 – 2021) stepped in as acting chief executive in November 2018 and was appointed permanently in April 2019. The former boss of human relations navigated the trust through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic but left in May 2021 after a damning CQC report into the hospital's accident and emergency department. He is now a senior partner with Korn Ferry Healthcare.
Dr George Findlay (2021 – 2022) led further improvements at Medway Maritime Hospital before leaving to join University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. He quit in 2025.
Jayne Black (2022 – 2025) was promoted from chief operating officer to chief executive in August 2022 and led the trust for more than two years before leaving in April 2025 to head East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which was nearer her home.
Jonathan Wade (2025 – 2026) took over as interim chief executive on April 1, 2025, while also acting as the chief executive officer for neighbouring Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, which runs the Darent Valley Hospital.
He stepped down from both trusts earlier this year when a plan to permanently share a single chief executive across them was dropped.
The announcement of his departure came just before an online staff forum for Darent Valley staff to discuss redundancies caused by a £40 million financial black hole.
Siobhan Callanan (April 2026 – present) was Medway’s former deputy chief executive. She stepped up to become interim chief executive and will continue until Mr Orchard joins.
Medway is the main acute hospital and A&E centre for Isle of Sheppey patients.
It has also installed a community diagnositic centre at Sheppey Community Hospital, including an MRI scanner, and runs the blood-testing centre at the hospital in Plover Road, Minster.
It is, however, one of 14 trusts rated “red” for capability by NHS England. It has failed to meet its financial targets and has been battling with staffing and "cultural issues" for several years.
John Goulston, who chairs the trust’s board, will be hoping Mr Orchard’s appointment will bear fruit.
He said: “Mark brings extensive NHS experience, a proven ability to lead complex organisations and a strong track record of delivering transformation at scale.
“His people-first leadership style and a clear commitment to supporting staff and improving care will be invaluable as we work to treat patients sooner, improve outcomes, and strengthen our culture and finances.”
Adam Doyle, the chief executive of NHS Kent and Medway, said: “I am really pleased by Mark’s appointment and his proven track record of delivery. I look forward to working with Mark and the team at Medway NHS Foundation Trust as we transform health services in the county.’’
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