Our board

Our board consists of:

  • The chair (Dr Nicolas Small)
  • Four voting non-executive directors
  • A non-voting associate non-executive director
  • Our executive directors. 

The board is responsible for setting and developing the strategic direction of the organisation, sustaining business viability and holding the executive directors to account for all aspects of the organisation’s activities, including quality and safety of patient services, financial management and legal compliance.

The board also seeks assurances from the executive directors that risks to the organisation are being appropriately assessed and managed.

The board normally meets every other month, with briefings and development sessions held in the intervening months.

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Marcus Riddell

Marcus Riddell

Marcus Riddell

Chief People Officer (non-voting member)

Marcus was appointed as Chief People Officer on 1 July 2024.  Prior to this he was Interim Chief People Officer, and Deputy Chief People Officer, at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Before joining Essex Partnership, he was Director for Strategic Partnerships at NHS Professionals, a role that followed a series of roles at NHS England and NHS Improvement. In addition to being Head of Equality and Inclusion – Evidence and Policy, during the pandemic, Marcus led the Covid-19 Risk Assessment Delivery Unit and efforts to increase staff Covid-19 vaccination uptake. Marcus’s earlier work in healthcare focused on temporary staffing and supply at the Department of Health and Social Care, and subsequently NHS Improvement from 2017-2020.

Marcus’s career began in 2006 at the Department of Communities and Local Government as an administrative assistant, before eventually filling Private Office roles for both Labour and Conservative Ministers. Marcus later moved to the Ministry of Defence as the Policy Officer for the Pakistan Desk. He subsequently moved to the Home Office to focus on domestic counter terrorism.

Marcus’s portfolio:

  • Operational Human Resources 
  • Workforce Planning and Information
  • Learning and Development
  • Organisational Development
  • Staff engagement, wellbeing, recognition and benefits.
  • Payroll and Occupational Health (outsourced contracts)
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Annual General Meeting

This year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place on 25 July 2024.

You can find the agenda for the meeting here.

Board meetings

Members of the public are welcome to attend and observe meetings of the Trust Board. Currently Board meetings are held remotely by video conference. 

Board papers and minutes of public Board meetings are published on this website in advance of meetings.

Meeting agendas include time for the public to put questions to the Board. If there is not enough time to respond to all questions, a response will be sent after the meeting. Questions from the public can be submitted by email either in advance or after the meetings.

Meetings start at 9.30am and end at 12.30pm (unless otherwise indicated). Dates of future meeting are below. This includes a Microsoft Teams link to join each meeting. 

This page features our Board papers 2024. Should you wish to receive papers from a meeting held before 2015 or require information about our Board and Board meetings please contact our Assistant Trust Secretary, Lorna Boyd-Bell or send an email, setting out details of the papers you require, to FOI@hchs.nhs.uk.

Board meeting papers 2024

This page features our Board papers 2024. Should you wish to receive papers from a meeting held before 2015 or require information about our Board and Board meetings please contact our Assistant Trust Secretary, Lorna Boyd-Bell or send an email, setting out details of the papers you require, to FOI@hchs.nhs.uk.

Board meeting papers 2023

This page features our Board papers 2023. Should you wish to receive papers from a meeting held before 2015 or require information about our Board and Board meetings please contact our Assistant Trust Secretary, Lorna Boyd-Bell or send an email, setting out details of the papers you require, to FOI@hchs.nhs.uk.

Board meeting papers 2022

This page features our Board papers 2022. Should you wish to receive papers from a meeting held before 2015 or require information about our Board and Board meetings please contact our Assistant Trust Secretary, Lorna Boyd-Bell or send an email, setting out details of the papers you require, to FOI@hchs.nhs.uk.

Board meeting papers 2021 - 2016

On this page you will find Board papers 2021 - 2016. Should you wish to see papers from a meeting held before 2016 or require information about our Board and Board meetings please contact Assistant Trust Secretary, Lorna Boyd-Bell or send an email, setting out details of the papers you require, to FOI@hchs.nhs.uk.

Board papers 2021

Board papers 2020

Board papers 2019

Board papers 2018

Board papers 2017

Board papers 2016