New ECCH Director of Quality Appointed

East Coast Community Healthcare has appointed a new Director of Quality to its senior management team.

Former Critical Care Paramedic Paul Benton joins the social enterprise from East Midlands Ambulance Service where he was Acting Director of Quality.

Paul has worked in the NHS for 25 years in various ambulance trusts including the air ambulance.

As Director of Quality at ECCH, which provides NHS community health services across Norfolk and Waveney, he will be responsible for quality governance, assurance, and improvement.

Paul, who is married with three children, said: “I am very excited about working for a social enterprise and the opportunity that offers to serve the community in a far more direct way than I have been able to previously. The integrated way in which ECCH operates means I find myself working with a group of people who can make a direct impact on outcomes for patients and can collaborate to really make a difference.

“I am passionate about leadership, patients and people. When I was looking for my next venture and saw the advert for ECCH, there was something about the values of staff and managers that I really liked. I often find that what you read about a workplace is not what you find when you’re there, but ECCH really is a place that lives and breathes its principles and really wants to make a positive difference to local communities. ECCH is totally committed to building healthy communities and investing heavily in the area to make a direct impact on patient’s health and wellbeing. This is something I am really keen to invest my time in and serve the community.

“I’m also very excited about getting to know the area and exploring its coastline and the Broads.”

Paul takes over his new role from Dr Noreen Cushen-Brewster who is moving on to work as a non-executive director with Anglian Community Enterprise as well as continuing her role at The University of Suffolk where she has been a visiting fellow for the past 5 years specialising in clinical research.