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07 May 2013

Two Leading UH Bristol Consultants Appointed National Clinical Directors, NHS England

Two of the most senior consultants at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UH Bristol) have been appointed by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of NHS England, to provide him with expert clinical advice and research in specific fields.  

Professor Jonathan Benger has been made National Clinical Director for Urgent Care and Dr Jacqueline Cornish has been made National Clinical Director for Children, Young People and Transition to Adulthood.  They are among the NCDs that have been announced by Prof Sir Bruce. 

Commenting on the appointments, he said:  "The restructured NHS has clinical leadership at its heart, and will make its decisions based on the very best possible clinical evidence and expert advice.  Our national clinical directors will provide the expert insight, knowledge and research we need in order to understand and address the challenges we face in all different aspects of NHS care. 

"We have appointed high-calibre clinicians to all these posts, and they will play a key role in the development of clinically-led, patient-focused care across all areas of the NHS." 

Professor Jonathan Benger is a consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Professor of Emergency Care at the University of the West of England. He was honoured as one of 'Britain's Top 100 doctors' published by The Times in 2010. 

Professor Benger says:  "Urgent care is a complex but vital area of our NHS, encompassing an important part of primary care and community-based services, hospital Emergency Departments and Ambulance Trusts. I am really looking forward to getting started in this new and challenging role, and to supporting improvements in the effective commissioning and delivery of urgent healthcare."  

Dr Jacqueline Cornish is the Director of Paediatric Stem Cell Transplant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, working with children with a haematological malignancy, and has been extensively involved with teaching and research with many publications and an international lecture programme. 

She has 20 years' experience of medical management in the NHS, having been Head of Division of Women's and Children's Services at UH Bristol for the past eight years, and over the past year has been working closely with the transition process to the NHS Commissioning Board, as Chair of the Paediatric Medicine Clinical Reference Group and Chair of the Specialised Services Women and Children Programme of Care. This successful work continues into NHS England.  Dr Cornish was honoured in a list of 'Britain's Top 100 Children's Doctors' published by The Times last year. 

Dr Cornish says:  "I am really excited to be taking on this new post at a time of real challenge but great opportunity for Children's Services within the NHS. The Government has pledged to improve the health outcomes of children and young people so that they become amongst the best in the world and NHS England, through the mandate, is committed to the delivery of these improved outcomes identified as being of greatest importance to young people and corresponding to the 5 Domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework." 

Robert Woolley, Chief Executive of UH Bristol, says:  "These appointments are a recognition of the professional standing of these two outstanding individuals.  They also reflect very positively on UH Bristol, and our patients will continue to benefit from their considerable expertise through their continued clinical practice within the Trust.  The Board and I offer them our warmest congratulations."


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