Appointment of new Chair

NHS England / NHS Improvement has confirmed the appointment of Andrew Trotter OBE QPM as the Chair of the London Ambulance Service (LAS). Andrew succeeds Heather Lawrence OBE who is leaving after six years.

Andrew worked for British Transport Police for 10 years from 2004, serving as Chief Constable and Deputy Chief Constable. Prior to this, he served more than 30 years in the Kent and Metropolitan police services, including six years as Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Met.

Andrew has been Chair of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust for seven years and will continue in this role. The Trust delivers community and mental health services in south east London and prison health services in London and Kent.

Andrew said: “It is a great honour to have been appointed as Chair of the London Ambulance Service. LAS is without doubt one of the NHS’s most well-known bodies, providing care to millions of patients each year, whether on the phone, online or on-scene.

“The organisation’s staff and volunteers are what makes LAS, and I look forward to working with the Board, teams across the Service and our partners to further improve the care we provide to Londoners, as well as the working lives of our colleagues.”

Andrew Ridley, Regional Director for the NHS in London said: “I am delighted to confirm Andrew’s appointment as the new Chair of the London Ambulance Service. I want to thank Heather for her invaluable service over the last six years and for building the Service’s profile with partners across the country.”

Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Andrew to be part of the London Ambulance Service team. We are the busiest ambulance service in the world and I know Andrew will find our staff and volunteers to be as inspirational as I do.

“On behalf of the executive team and entire organisation, I would like to thank Heather for all she has done for LAS. She has been a very visible Chair, who has always had the best interests of patients, staff and volunteers at heart.”

Dame Christine Beasley is the Co-Chair of the London Ambulance Service Public and Patients Council, which provides a voice for patients in the design, development and delivery of services. She said: “On behalf of the Public and Patients Council, I am delighted to welcome Andrew’s appointment and we look forward to working with him to build on the great work the Service already does to involve and engage patients and local communities.”

Andrew joins the Service on 1 July 2022.

Non-executive appointments to NHS trusts are made by NHS England / NHS Improvement and subject to the Governance Code for Public Appointments. NHS England / NHS Improvement ensure that all appointments to NHS trust boards are made in a way that is open, transparent and fair to candidates.

Andrew Trotter has been appointed from 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2026 and will receive remuneration of £55,000 per annum. He has not declared any political activity in the last five years.