North Bristol NHS Trust is governed by the Trust Board, which consists of the Executive Directors, including the Chief Executive, who are full-time senior staff, together with an independent Chair and Non-Executive Directors who hold part-time positions. :
- The Chair.
- The Chief Executive.
- Executive Directors.
- Non-Executive Directors.
The number of Non-Executive Directors and voting Executive Directors is set by North Bristol NHS Trust’s Establishment Order.
The Executive Directors bring expertise to key areas of the Trust and oversee the day-to-day operation of the organisation, while the Chair and Non-Executive Directors offer skills and experience from a wide variety of roles within the wider community. The Trust Chair has specific duties and responsibilities for the effective leadership of the Board, and creating the conditions necessary for overall board and individual director effectiveness. This includes the duty to lead effective governance at organisational level. NBT’s Chair is also the Chair of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, holding a joint role across the two organisations.
The Board's key functions are:
- To set the vision and strategic direction for the Trust, define objectives, and agree plans for the Trust.
- To monitor performance and ensure corrective action is taken where performance needs to be improved.
- To ensure the Trust makes best use of the resources made available to us by the taxpayer.
- To ensure high standards of corporate and quality governance so the services we provide are safe and of a high quality.
More information about the Trust Board, its balance, completeness and appropriateness to the requirements of the trust is included within our Annual Reports and Standing Orders available elsewhere on the website.
Joint Chair of NBT and UHBW
Ingrid Barker
A qualified social worker, Ingrid has over 25 years of NHS board level experience. This has included roles as Chair at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Chair of Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and ²gether NHS Foundation Trust and as a Non-Executive Director of NHS Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust. She is also an active Governor at the University of Gloucestershire.
Ingrid’s drive and commitment to the provision of high-quality services, accessible to all, is evidenced in her national policy and service redevelopment roles, notably leading on the transformation of mental health services community provision. She was also a Trustee and Board member of NHS Providers between 2013 and 2021, elected to represent Community Trusts across England.
Joint Chief Executive
Maria Kane OBE
Maria Kane OBE was appointed as Joint Chief Executive of North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in July 2024. Prior to this she was Chief Executive of NBT from April 2021.
Maria previously worked as Chief Executive of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust from 2017 until 2021, as Chief Executive of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust between 2007 and 2017, and as Executive Director at North West London Strategic Health Authority between 2002 and 2006. Maria has held a variety of senior roles in corporate and strategic development for the Royal College of Midwives, Medical Protection Society and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.
In 2019, Maria was made an OBE for services to health care leadership over two decades, particularly in North London.
Maria is Chair of Bristol Health Partners, a member of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, and sits on the board of Health Innovation West of England. She is also the South West representative for the NHS Genomics Board, and is the representative for the South West on the NHS Impact National Improvement Board.
Maria has previously been a trustee of Open Door, Umbrella Mental Health, and Young Minds, as well as an adviser to the Lullaby Trust and a special adviser to the Care Quality Commission. She was also chair of governors of a primary school for ten years.
Organisational Structure
Visit the Organisational Structure page where you can find out further details about our five Clinical Divisions and six Corporate Directorates.