THE chief executive who guided south Essex hospitals through the Covid pandemic and oversaw the major merger of the hospitals will leave her role this summer “for a new challenge”. 

Clare Panniker will step down as chief executive of the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust after being announced the new regional director for NHS East of England. 

Mrs Panniker has spent the last 30 years dedicated to the NHS and has been the driving force between major improvements at Southend, Basildon and Broomfield hospitals in recent years. 

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She led the charge as the three hospitals merged in April 2020 to form the new Mid and South Essex NHS Trust. 

Mrs Panniker’s salary as chief executive for the financial year ending in March 2021 was between £225,000 and £260,000. 

After creating the new trust and navigating the hospitals through the Covid pandemic, she is ready to take on a new challenge in her latest role. 

She said: “It has without question been a challenging time for the NHS over the last few years and it has been a real privilege working with my colleagues at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust.

“Having created a new trust, and then navigated the significant impact of Covid-19 as one of the largest trusts in the county, the time is right for me to take on a new challenge and I am keen to deliver on key priorities for the NHS.

“As part of NHS England’s national executive team, I look forward to influencing future policy and strategy for the east of england”.

Mrs Panniker became chief executive of Basildon and Thurrock Hospital Trust and Mid Essex Hospital Trust in 2012, before becoming the chief executive for Southend in 2017.

Nigel Beverley, chairman of Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, said Mrs Panniker’s involvement will be missed, and will now start a recruitment process to replace her.

He said: “Clare is an exceptional leader and will be missed by us all.

“Her dedication and compassion have seen us through the most difficult period in the NHS’s history, as well as managing to merge three Trusts into one so that we will be successful and sustainable for many years to come.

“We will now start the recruitment process for her successor, with Hannah Coffey - our deputy chief executive - stepping into the role in the interim.”