A highly experienced mental health professional Gordon is expected to join OHFT in early 2022 from Solent NHS Trust, a community and mental health provider.

Gordon is Solent’s Executive Director of Strategy & Partnerships and has worked at the organisation for almost four years in operational director and executive roles.

He has played a pivotal role in the successful partnership with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and a transformative community-based model of care with Southern Health.

He is also the senior responsible officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Mental Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.

On his appointment to OHFT, Gordon commented: “I am very much looking forward to joining Oxford Health, an organisation with a clear vision coupled with strong ambitions to deliver outstanding care. It’s a talented team focussed on achieving great things including developing a world class mental health and research facility. I am very much looking forward to playing a role in these exciting plans and working with such an inspirational team.”

Oxford Health Chief Executive Dr Nick Broughton said: “I am absolutely delighted that Gordon will be joining the Oxford Health team. He is a very talented and dynamic leader and has a very strong record of delivery. I have no doubt that he will be a tremendous addition to the executive team and will provide the leadership required across all our mental health, learning disability and autism services to make them truly outstanding services for both those who use them and work in them.”

Gordon qualified as a mental health nurse 20 years ago and spent his early career working in front line roles across all clinical areas in mental health  before becoming a clinical nurse specialist in psychosocial interventions.

Throughout his career, Gordon has taken many senior leadership roles in the NHS, across mental health, acute and commissioning.

These include Director of Operations at  North East London Foundation Trust, Programme Director Barking and Dagenham Clinical Commissioning Group and Referral to Treatment (RTT) lead for Diagnostics at West Hertfordshire Hospitals.

Covid Operations Director Tehmeena Ajmal has been appointed as interim director of mental health, effective October 11, following the departure of Debbie Richards, who has been appointed Chief Executive of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.