Professor Colin Scales – Chief Executive

Colin Scales

Position: Chief Executive

 

Tell us about your career to date:

I started my career as a commissioning officer in Bolton, and over the time since then have worked in health authorities, the Department of Health, a PCT and in hospitals.

I have been working at board level since 2003, and as chief executive here at Bridgewater since 2015.

 

What is the most important thing for you in your role?

It is a genuine privilege to be the CEO of our organisation.

My daughter (when aged about 5) described my job to her friend as just making sure the doctors and nurses have everything they need!

I describe my role simply as creating the conditions that ensure our clinicians can deliver the best care.

More mundanely I am the trust’s accountable officer, accountable to our Board and ultimately to parliament for the trust’s financial performance, clinical standards and quality of services.

 

What is the biggest achievement of your career so far?

I have been part of many achievements in my career, at Bridgewater and elsewhere, but I’m most proud of the organisation we have become, our staff engagement work, the board and leadership team we have and most of all the great care and support our teams provide to patients every day.

 

What is your main focus for the year?

This year will be about recovering from the pandemic, and building new and stronger partnerships as encouraged by the new White Paper will ensure that we do that well.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Being able to influence, as a non-clinician, the care that people receive is the most rewarding thing.

Spending time with colleagues in their environment across the trust, listening and learning, is a close second.