Clive Thompson CBE has been reappointed by the Appointments Commission as Chairman of Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust with a view to completing the discussions about the merger of the Trust.   Mr Thompson has been Chairman at the Trust since March 2002 and the merger discussions have been taking place with Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since the end of July 2007.

Said Trust Acting Chief Executive, Paul Bentley: “I welcome the re-appointment of Clive as Chairman for the Trust.  Clive is committed to the future of Ashford and St. Peter’s hospitals and it is good to know that he remains with us to resolve the merger issue one way or the other.”

Mr Thompson was a management consultant after he left the chemicals industry in 1995, and was a non-executive director of Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust from December 1999 until 10th March 2002.   He spent most of his career with BP Chemicals in South Wales and London becoming a director in 1983 with responsibilities for manufacturing, personnel and worldwide petrochemicals business.   From 1990 to 1995, he was Vice-President, Operations and Supply, of ARCO Chemical Europe.

Between 1991 and 1997 he was a member of the Audit Commission and was its Deputy Chairman from 1995 to 1997.  He was appointed CBE in 1998.   He is married with two grown-up sons and lives in Lightwater.

Commenting on his re-appointment Mr Thompson said: “I am very pleased that the Appointments Commission have agreed to re-appointment me so that I can see through the merger discussions.   In this, the 60th year of the NHS, I am proud to have been able to serve my local community and the health service,  most recently as Chairman at Ashford and St. Peter’s.   I hope that my re-appointment will maintain some continuity in the merger discussions and I am sure that we will be able to resolve the long term future of Ashford and St. Peter’s before I complete my term.”

Mr Thompson continued: “My past five years at the Trust has seen the organisation make great progress from a zero rated to three star Trust in 2005.   We reorganised our services in 2006 and made them more responsive to the needs of local people.  Our state of the art emergency facilities at St. Peter’s are complimented with a modern NHS Walk-in Centre at Ashford.  More and more women are choosing our maternity services to help them with their birth backed up by our well respected Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.   Our Orthopaedic service in the Rowley Bristow Unit has an international reputation for its specialist orthopaedic work and increasingly patients are choosing to have their angioplasty work undertaken at St. Peter’s rather than undertaking the long journey into London.      

“I am very positive about the future for Ashford and St. Peter’s hospitals and proud of everyone who works there.  I look forward to working closely with them as we plan for the future of healthcare in west Surrey.”

The appointment has been made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.  All non-executive appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees political activity (if any declared) to be made public.  Mr Thompson does not hold any other ministerial appointments and is not politically active.  The post of Chairman carries a remuneration of £20,144  a year.