Mark LamThe new chairman of the Royal Free London, Mark Lam, said he is delighted to be starting his new role and will spend his first day at the trust meeting staff, thanking them for their service and finding out about their experiences of working in the NHS.

Mark praised staff for their extraordinary efforts during one of the most of the challenging periods in the history of the NHS.

He said: “Almost everyone has been touched by the pandemic in some way and so many of us have lost family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues or members of our communities.

“We are indebted to all staff at the Royal Free London and across the NHS for the resilience, fortitude and compassion they have shown during this difficult past year. It has been humbling hearing their stories.

“The trust now faces a period of adjustment as we look to return to business as usual and I’m delighted to be supporting and guiding the Royal Free London through this challenging period. At the heart of everything we do is patient care and I look forward to working closely with our NHS and community partners to ensure the residents we serve can continue to receive the highest quality healthcare.”

Mark, who was appointed to the role by the Council of Governors, joins the Royal Free London after standing down from his position as chair of the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust. He is also chair of the East London Foundation Trust and was formerly a non-executive director of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust.

Mark’s professional background is in business and technology and he previously worked for Carphone Warehouse, Siemens and BT, where he was chief technology and information officer of Openreach. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Mark replaces Dominic Dodd, who has been chair of the trust since 2009.

Caroline Clarke, group chief executive of the Royal Free London, said: “I’m so pleased to be able to welcome Mark to the trust. He has a wealth of experience within the NHS in London and I look forward to working closely with him as we navigate the challenges of the next few years.

“I’d like to pay tribute to Dominic – he has made an enormous contribution to the trust over the past 12 years and his support has been invaluable. He is one of the kindest, most value-driven and most strategic people that I have had the pleasure to work with.”

Dominic stands down after serving his maximum term. The Royal Free London has undergone significant change during that time including the acquisition of Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust and the construction of the new Chase Farm Hospital.