Health Minister welcomes new leadership for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Jennifer Welsh, new Chief Executive of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the appointment of Jennifer Welsh as the new Chief Executive of Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT), describing her as a leader with a strong track record and a commitment to delivering improved outcomes for patients and staff.

Jennifer Welsh brings over two decades of leadership experience within Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care (HSC) system. She has served as Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) since April 2020, where she has overseen significant service developments and navigated complex operational challenges.

In a statement, Minister Nesbitt said:

“I am pleased to welcome Jennifer Welsh to this key role within the HSC at a time of immense challenge and opportunity for health and social care services across Northern Ireland.

“She has an impressive track record in leadership and shares my own strong commitment to ensuring better outcomes for patients and service users, and a safe, supportive working environment for staff at all levels.

“Belfast Trust has been dealing with a number of very serious and well documented issues for quite some time and I am confident that Jennifer’s appointment will help to bring stability and a fresh focus to the Trust. I wish to congratulate her on this appointment and look forward to working with her in this new role.”

The Belfast Trust is Northern Ireland’s largest health and social care organisation and has faced ongoing scrutiny over its service delivery and internal governance. The appointment of Ms Welsh is seen as a crucial step in addressing these concerns and driving meaningful reform.

Jennifer Welsh’s leadership at NHSCT included managing the Trust’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and working on system-wide transformation projects aimed at improving patient care and operational efficiency.