Somerset NHS Foundation Trust appoints a new chair

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Dr Rima Makarem as its new chair. She will join the trust in early 2025.

Rima has 15 years’ experience working at board level in the NHS and has worked at regional and national level. She has been the chair of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board since 2020. She is also chair of the Sue Ryder charity, chair of Queen Square Enterprises Ltd (an independent healthcare provider based in London), a lay council member for the General Pharmaceutical Council, and a trustee of LifeArc.

Rima trained as a scientist and has held senior roles within the global pharmaceutical industry. Other senior roles she has held include senior independent director and audit chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and audit chair and external commissioner at the House of Commons Commission, working closely with the Speaker and the Leader of the House.

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the trust, said: “We are very excited to welcome Rima to Somerset. We have worked for many years to create a unique trust that provides primary care, community services, mental health and learning disability services and acute services. We want to continue capitalising on the opportunities that our range of services gives us, to play our part to the health of the people in Somerset, and deliver outstanding integrated care. We believe that Rima will play a very important role in supporting us to achieve this.”

Kate Butler, lead governor for the trust, said: “After a rigorous interview process the governors are delighted to welcome Rima to Somerset as chair of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. We look forward to working closely with her, to continue to develop the fully integrated organisation that we have become. In Rima we have a strong personality which, together with her wealth of experience, will be a great asset to the trust.”

Dr Rima Makarem said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the role of chair of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. It is uniquely positioned through its range of services to develop innovative integrated care pathways that will ensure patients see the right professional in the right setting in a timely manner. I am excited to work with Peter and his team on making a real impact on the health of the population of Somerset. I look forward to meeting patients and staff in the New Year."