Jennifer Welsh, Chief Executive

Jennifer Welsh was appointed Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust on 21 July 2020.  Prior to this she was Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive from 1 December 2017 – 31 March 2020, and Interim Chief Executive from 1 April 2020.

Jennifer has been a Director within Northern Ireland’s Health & Social Care Services since 2005, and has significant experience in operational management, service and capital planning, capital development as well as a strong track record on safety, quality and governance.

A former member of a number of Northern Ireland’s Clinical Networks (including Cancer & Cardiology), Jennifer has also been the Chair of the Northern Ireland Pathology Network since 2010.

Appointed Director of Specialist Services in the Belfast Trust in 2007, Jennifer was responsible for many of Northern Ireland’s Regional Specialist Services including the Cancer Centre and Specialist Surgery such as Cardiac Surgery and Renal Transplant Services. In January 2017 Jennifer was appointed Director of Planning, Performance & Informatics within the Belfast Trust during which she developed the organisation’s approach to Partnership & Engagement with statutory agencies, the community & voluntary sector and with services users and their carers.

From 2005 to 2007, Jennifer was Director of Capital Development at the former Ulster Community & Hospitals’ Trust, and prior to this held the posts of Service Development Manager and Deputy Director of Corporate Planning at the former Green Park Healthcare Trust.

Jennifer has a strong background in research, developing partnerships between academia and clinical service, and has retained a strong interest in the benefits that this, as well as innovation and quality improvement, can bring to patients and clients.