A single chairman has been announced to lead north west London's four acute NHS trusts from April.

Experienced healthcare leader Matthew Swindells will be at the head of the board which represents 12 hospitals in a move hailed to represent greater collaboration.

He will be working within the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Mr Swindells said working through a joint acute care board will focus on expanding planned care capacity and tackling waiting times in the wake of the pandemic.

“The scale of opportunity we have to improve health by working together is huge,” he said, “We already have brilliant staff and teams, strong local leadership and high quality research.

“Combined with the successful collaboration we have seen to date, these are the pillars we need to develop our health system in north west London to be one of the most outstanding health systems globally.”

The joint acute care board was set up in March 2021 and the appointment of a chairman brings the bodies inline with NHS frameworks.

While remaining separate entities, the organisations will seek to maximise potential for joint working for the benefit of the population, patients and staff.

Cllr Ketan Sheth, chairman of North West London Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, said: “It is good to see more collaboration across the local NHS.

“Our four hospital trusts having a single chair will enable closer working while each Trust retains its own identity.

“This reflects the direction of travel towards more partnership working and also seems likely to be cost effective with public funds.

“Matthew Swindells is clearly an experienced and respected NHS leader and I am sure he will prove a strong appointment.”

Chris Bown, chief executive of London North West University Healthcare, said: “Like the rest of the NHS, north west London faces some very significant challenges as we emerge from the pandemic but we also have much on which to build, including some of the best care, research and people in healthcare.

“He will be a real asset in making the most of all of that potential and ensuring we learn from one another."