Leading clinician joins NHS board with big ambitions

Professor Sir Alan Craft – a consultant specialising in paediatric oncology and former Head of Child Health at Newcastle University medical school – will take on a non-executive director role.

Professor Craft, a Northumberland resident and author of more than 350 papers, review articles and books, began his medical career in 1969 before specialising first in paediatric medicine and then in paediatric oncology.

He held the presidency of the Royal College of Paediatrics between 2003 and 2006 and that of the International Paediatric Oncology Society between 1999 and 2005.

A pioneer of treatment, research and patient care, Professor Craft has led studies into the management of bone tumours and the evaluation of screening for neuroblastoma; to name but two.

Welcoming him to the trust board, chairman Alan Richardson said: “It is a real privilege to have someone of Professor Craft’s standing join our board.

“We are an ambitious trust and the insights he can offer will be invaluable as we look to implement our five-year strategy, which includes a £150million investment into services across Northumberland and North Tyneside.”

Professor Craft said that he feels he will be able to support Northumbria Healthcare’s ambition to ‘continuously strive for excellence’.