This episode is with Rob Webster. It is fascinating, inspiring and very timely.

In 2016, Rob took up the Chief Executive job at the South West Yorkshire Partnership FT, which is a mental health provider. At the same time, he became the Executive Lead on what was then the West Yorkshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). Since then, Rob has seconded over to be the full time Chief Executive Lead on what is now the highly regarded West Yorkshire and Harrogate Integrated Care System (ICS).

The HSJ publishes a list of the top 50 NHS Chief Executives in the country and this year Rob was ranked number 1, which was the first time a leader from a mental health trust has been given that honour. The HSJ citation noted Rob’s commitment to staff wellbeing and working in partnership and we explore those areas in detail as well as discussing the challenge of health inequality.

We also talk about what is important when building a partnership across a wide geographic area and how they have managed to make such recognised progress in West Yorkshire and Harrogate. Is it good relationships? Is it good rules? Or is it a bit of both?

I hope you enjoy it!

Radical Reformers ep.22: Rob Webster

Radical Reformers podcast