Chair appointed for Board of new Trust

Helen Thomson DL has been appointed as Chair of the Trust Board of what will be Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust from 1 April 2027.

Helen (pictured) is currently Chair of Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) and has been appointed following a recruitment process involving the lead governor for Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT), and the Regional Chair of NHS England.

Announcing the news, joint Chief Executive of LCH and LYPFT, Dr Sara Munro, said: "I'm delighted that Helen will be the Chair of the new Trust. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience not only as an NHS Board member, but also as a clinician, academic and leader.

"This appointment marks the start of the wider appointment process for the new Trust Board of a new organisation that will combine both LYPFT and LCH. Helen will lead the process for appointing the non-executive directors for the new organisation.

“For now, nothing changes for each Trust board. Helen Thomson will continue in her role as Chair at LCH until 1 April next year when she will take up her new role, subject to formal governance approval.  LYPFT’s current chair Merran McCrae has taken the decision to step down from the role of Chair when we transition to our new Trust. Between us we will work together to lead both organisations into becoming Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.”

Helen Thomson was appointed as a non-executive director at LCH in May 2019. She took over as Chair in August 2025 when the previous Chair’s term ended.

Helen Thomson had this to say about her appointment:

“I’m really pleased to be taking on the role of Chair of the new Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. It’s an exciting opportunity to bring together two organisations that do fantastic work every day across a huge range of services.

Having been born in Leeds and trained as a nurse at Leeds General Infirmary, followed by midwifery training at Leeds Maternity Hospital, I have a long-standing connection with the city and its NHS services. I went on to teach midwifery in Leeds before working in Huddersfield, and retired in 2014 as Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

“I want to help ensure that, by coming together, the new organisation can be even better for the people who use our services, while also being a great place to work for our more than 7,000 colleagues. I’m really looking forward to getting out and meeting colleagues across both organisations, listening to their experiences and understanding what matters to them as we build the new Trust together.”

More about Helen Thomson

Helen has held clinical, management and education posts across West Yorkshire. She has held a number of NHS Board posts since 1993 as a director of operations, chief nurse, and, after her retirement in 2014, she returned as an interim chief executive.

She also has a strong connection with higher education - holding a Master of Arts (MA) in Leading Innovation and Change from York University, a first degree in Management from Leeds University, and has served as a Council Member of the University of Huddersfield. She is also a former member of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel of the Department of Health and Social Care. She was appointed Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for West Yorkshire in 2012 and Vice Lord Lieutenant in 2022.