Our new chair announced
The next chair of the Barts Health group will be Professor Ian Jacobs, a leading cancer surgeon and expert in health and higher education with strong links to our hospitals and communities.
He is currently a board member of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Chair of City St George’s, University of London.
Born in East London, Prof Jacobs worked here at all grades - from house officer and research fellow to consultant and professor - between 1984 and 2004.
During that time he completed specialist training in gynaecological oncology at St Bartholomew’s, and was then a consultant at Barts and the London, and professor of gynaecological cancer at Queen Mary University of London.
While working at the London hospital in 1985 he founded the Eve Appeal to support research into women’s cancer. He later led a series of major studies into ovarian cancer screening and prevention, and was director of the Barts Cancer Institute.
Ian moved to University College London in 2004 to run a new Institute for Women’s Health, later becoming dean of biomedical sciences. In 2011 he was appointed vice-president and dean of health sciences at the University of Manchester, where he also led the academic health science centre.
From 2015-2022 Ian relocated to Australia to serve as president and vice chancellor of the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He led initiatives in research, education and diversity which took it to 19th place in the global university rankings.
Ian will take up his appointment on the Barts Health board on 1 March. He will also take on the role of chair of the acute provider collaborative with our partners at Homerton Healthcare, Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, and the North East London (NEL) integrated care board (ICB).
Shane DeGaris, group chief executive, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ian with his wealth of experience and expertise to the Barts Health family. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Adam Sharples for leading us so capably as acting chair since the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith resigned last year.”
Dame Marie Gabriel, chair of the NEL ICB said: “We worked closely with the three trusts in the acute provider collaborative to co-ordinate recruiting new chairs to each of them. I look forward to working with Ian, as incoming chair of the largest of the three, to further our joint efforts to reduce inequalities in health outcomes, access, and experience for patients across our eight hospitals.”
Professor Jacobs said: “I am excited to be returning to my roots in East London where my approach to healthcare, academia and leadership was shaped. I am as committed and energised to working for the health of our patients and population as I was when I walked up the steps of the London Hospital 40 years ago.”