After four years leading Walsall Together as Independent Chair, Professor Patrick Vernon MBE will step down from the role on 1 April. He will be succeeded by Greg Bloom, Managing Partner at Umbrella Medical, who has been a member of the Board since its establishment.
During his time in the role, Patrick has played a key part in strengthening the Board, advancing neighbourhood health initiatives and supporting improvements in delivery and commissioning across the partnership. A passionate advocate for tackling health inequalities, he has consistently championed the need to address the wider factors affecting people’s health and ensure services better support the communities that need them most.
Under his leadership, Walsall Together has reached important milestones, received national recognition and built strong relationships across health, local authority, housing, and voluntary sector partners.
Reflecting on his time as Chair, Patrick said he had greatly valued the opportunity to work with the Board and partners across the system. He said:
“I have greatly enjoyed working with the Board and supporting members as we strengthened our plans for greater delegated responsibility, improved delivery and commissioning, and advanced our approach to neighbourhood health and tackling health inequalities.
I am particularly proud of the progress we have made together and the recognition the partnership has received. The strong relationships we have built with our partners and stakeholders across the system have been central to the success of Walsall Together.
I would like to thank the Board and all our partners for their collaboration and commitment over the past four years. I wish the incoming Chair, Greg Bloom, every success in his new role and I am confident he will do a fantastic job leading the partnership forward.”
Greg brings extensive experience in primary care and has been closely involved with the Board since its inception. Speaking about his appointment, Greg said it has been “a privilege to witness the development of this partnership and the progress we have made together.” He also paid tribute to Patrick for his leadership and commitment to collaborative working.
Looking ahead to his new role, Greg said: “As Chair, I look forward to continuing to build on this collaborative work and supporting the delivery of our strategy, particularly as national health and social care priorities increasingly focus on care closer to home, stronger community-based services and the development of integrated neighbourhood teams.
I hope my experience and leadership in Primary Care will help partners deliver this vision. I want to use this role to help drive our strategic direction forward, strengthen partnership working, and encourage innovative approaches that empower communities and frontline teams to improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Walsall.”
Stephanie Cartwright, Group Chief Community and Partnerships Officer (Walsall and Wolverhampton), who has taken on the role of Vice Chair, spoke on behalf of the Board in thanking Patrick and welcoming Greg, saying: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Patrick for his vision, leadership and dedication. At the same time, we warmly welcome Greg as he takes on this important role and leads the partnership into its next chapter.”
