East Cheshire NHS Trust CEO to Retire After Five Years at the Helm

The Chief Executive of East Cheshire NHS Trust, Ged Murphy, has announced his plan to retire in the summer of 2026. This decision concludes a five-year period during which he held key leadership roles, including substantive Chief Executive since June 2022, at the smaller acute trust in the North West of England.

Murphy's departure signals a significant change for the organisation as it grapples with sector-wide challenges, such as waiting list backlogs and workforce shortages, underscoring the critical need for robust succession planning in NHS leadership.

Joining the trust in August 2021 as director of finance, Murphy rapidly advanced, becoming acting chief executive later that year before his confirmation as CEO. His extensive background, which includes over 25 years in NHS executive leadership, local authority, and public sector transformation, was vital in guiding the trust through intense system reforms.

During his tenure at the trust, which serves communities around Macclesfield and Congleton, Murphy concentrated on enhancing operational performance and fostering strategic alliances within the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System (ICS). His leadership has been instrumental in navigating complex operational and service demands, maintaining essential acute hospital functions, and striving to improve patient access amid national performance pressures.

The shift towards integrated care systems under the Health and Care Act 2022 required Murphy to skilfully balance trust-level operational delivery with broader system leadership. Engagement with the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS and place-based partnerships was central to planning for key services like urgent care, elective recovery, and population health initiatives.

Murphy’s focus also included workforce development and efficiency, acknowledging the national issues of staff shortages and recruitment competition, and pushing for service modernisation through innovation and collaboration with primary care, local authorities, and the voluntary sector.

Described by colleagues as a steady presence, Murphy strengthened governance, performance oversight, and stakeholder relationships. In a statement, he expressed pride in the team's progress and praised the staff and partners for their "unwavering dedication to patient care and community service."

The upcoming robust recruitment process, overseen by East Cheshire’s board, seeks a successor with both a strategic vision and the capacity to manage acute operational pressures—including elective backlogs, financial constraints, and deepening care integration. The new CEO will need to align the trust's priorities with the wider NHS 10-Year Health Plan and the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS strategy.

Murphy’s retirement reflects a wider trend of senior leadership turnover across NHS provider and commissioning organisations, highlighting the immense demands and personal toll of steering organisations through systemic reform and financial pressure. For smaller acute trusts like East Cheshire, stable leadership is particularly vital given their role as operational anchors for essential emergency and elective services within resource-tight systems.