Wessex Health Partners appoints Professor William Rosenberg as Chair

Wessex Health Partners (WHP), a new learning partnership accelerating better health through research, education and innovation, has appointed Professor William Rosenberg as its inaugural Chair.

Professor Rosenberg, who holds the Peter Scheuer Chair in Liver Diseases at University College London, is a clinical academic physician working at the interface between universities and the NHS with strong links to government, the third sector and industry.

While working with the National Institute for Health and Care Research, he pioneered multi-stakeholder work uniting national Higher Education Institutions (HEI), NHS, third sector, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry partners and overseeing collaborative working to further the life sciences ‘health and wealth’ agenda.

He also has extensive experience of leading cross-agency working between local councils, public health, primary and secondary care with public and patient representation to develop new pathways of care for patients with long-term conditions.

Speaking about his appointment, Professor Rosenberg, said:

“I am delighted to be joining Wessex Health Partners as the organisation’s first Chair. Progress in science comes about through partnerships; equally, progress in translating science into improvements in health care and health comes about through strong partnerships.

"Having worked in the region earlier in my career and having lived in the region for past 25 years, I have first-hand experience of local health challenges and of the immense and diverse talent that the founding bodies behind Wessex Health Partners are bringing together to make a difference to health and care in Wessex, in the UK and internationally.”

Commenting on the appointment, Professor Diana Eccles, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, said:

“William comes to Wessex Health Partners with a tremendous track record in research, education, working with industry, and working in partnership with communities, patients and the public to design and deliver improvements to health care. We are really looking forward to the next steps in the evolution of our partnership with William’s appointment.”

Dr Paul Johnson, Chief Medical Officer for Dorset NHS Integrated Care Board, said:

“Wessex Health Partners brings together diverse partners from a range of academic disciplines across our universities, and from all parts of the health and care system across Wessex – from supporting wellbeing and enhancing our work to prevent ill health, to innovation in physical and mental health services, to the latest advances in genomics.

"William’s experience of and personal commitment to facilitating complex partnerships is an excellent fit with our Partners’ vision of building a learning health and care system.”