The palliative care charity Sue Ryder has appointed James Sanderson, a current national director for NHS England, as its new chief executive.
Sanderson, who has been the national director of community health services, personalised care and palliative and end-of-life care for NHS England since 2015, will take up the reins at the charity in August.
He succeeds Heidi Travis, who has been chief executive of Sue Ryder for 14 years and who announced her departure in November.
Travis is stepping down to “semi-retire” but plans to continue in her non-executive roles, which include non-executive director at the Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Sanderson brings a “wealth of experience across the NHS and not-for-profit sector” to his new role, the charity said.
This includes a year as a commissioner for the health charity the National Centre for Creative Health. Sanderson also spent three years as the chief executive of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, a health charity that champions social prescribing initiatives.
He is chair of the Global Social Prescribing Alliance, having held the role for more than three years, and is a trustee of The Reading Agency, a charity that promotes the benefits of reading to UK children and adults.
Sanderson said he hoped to “help lead Sue Ryder in furthering its goal to ensure that no one should face death or grief alone”.
He said: “I am looking forward to working with staff, volunteers and everyone involved with Sue Ryder to grow the organisation and its impact, find innovative ways to continue to deliver the vision and, above all, build a society where everyone who is dying or grieving can access the support they need.”
Rima Makarem, chair of Sue Ryder, said: “I am very excited to welcome James to Sue Ryder, and he brings a wealth of experience from across the NHS and the not-for-profit sector, including in palliative and end-of-life care.
“His experience means he will be held in high regard by our key audiences, including MPs and policy-makers. His personal values align well with Sue Ryder’s, and we are looking forward to working with him on delivering our vision and strategy.”
She added that Travis “leaves Sue Ryder in a strong position with an exciting future” and would be “greatly missed by staff and volunteers”.
Sue Ryder recorded a total income of nearly £112.2m in the year ending March 2023, according to its latest accounts filed with the Charity Commission. In the same period, it recorded expenditure of £123.1m.