Following an appointment process today involving the Minister of Health, the Financial Secretary and the Vice Chair of the GHA Board Professor Ian Cumming, the Minister of Health is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Patrick Geoghegan OBE as the interim Director General of the GHA. Professor Geoghegan will commence in post on 10th January 2022 for a period of up to 18 months whilst a process is undertaken to appoint his permanent successor. The appointment is an interim one so that a full, open and transparent recruitment process can be undertaken over the period of the 18 month appointment of Professor Geoghegan. 

Professor Geoghegan has over 45 years experience in healthcare having started his career as a clinician in mental health before moving into healthcare leadership and management in the NHS. Patrick was Chief Executive of one of the largest, highest performing NHS Trusts in the UK with a workforce of over 12,200 for over 20 years. Under his stewardship the organisation was consistently rated as excellent by external assessment bodies. Patrick has also received a number of awards recognising his excellence in leadership including the Starkey Award from the Royal Society of Public Health, NHS Leader of The Year and the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He is renowned internationally as a leading champion for transforming Health and Social services and for his passionate support for staff developing modern healthcare services.

Professor Geoghegan has been in Gibraltar since May 2021 working on the delivery and execution of the National Mental Health Strategy.  He has already established a working relationship with the GHA.

The Minister of Health and Care, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, said “I am pleased and recognise that we are very fortunate that we have been able to appoint someone of Patrick’s calibre to this critical role on an interim basis. Patrick is well know to us in Gibraltar having already undertaken excellent work with the GHA for the last 6 months helping transform our Mental Health Services. Because of his dynamic style and experience, I have no doubt that there will immediate improvements in the GHA that will be felt throughout the organisation and the community. I am very excited for the future of the GHA which I have no doubt will benefit Gibraltar

Prof Patrick Geoghegan OBE said, “I am delighted to have been appointed as the interim Director General for the GHA. Over the last six months I have met many members of staff across the GHA and been impressed with their commitment and dedication. Throughout my career I have sought to develop positive working relationships with staff and I see these working relationships as a fundamental part of delivering the “Reset, Restart and Recover” process that was announced by the Minister last week. I am really looking forward to commencing in post in Gibraltar in early January”.

Prof Ian Cumming OBE,  Chair of the GHA Board  added, “Patrick’s appointment is a key step in the GHA starting to delivering against the Reset, Restart and Recover programme announced by Minister Sacramento last week. Over the next few weeks additional members of the board will be identified allowing the reconfigured board to meet in its new format early in 2022.