NHS Leader Retires from National Role to Join Cornwall Trust Board in June

36-Year NHS Veteran Em Wilkinson-Brice Set to Join CFT as Non-Executive Director

A senior NHS figure with more than three decades of experience will officially join Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT) as a non-executive director on 1st June 2025.

Bringing a Lifetime of NHS Experience to Cornwall

Em Wilkinson-Brice will retire from her current role at NHS England on 12th May, before stepping into her new position with CFT at the start of next month.

Em’s career in the NHS has spanned 36 years and included a variety of leadership roles across the country. After qualifying as a nurse in Exeter, she remained active in nursing practice throughout her career. Her professional journey has taken her from Exeter to Oxford and Derby before returning to Exeter again in 2010, where she became chief nurse and later chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.

In 2019, Em joined NHS England and served as the senior responsible officer for staff health and wellbeing at the start of the pandemic.

📷Em (front row, second from left) during her People Promise visit to the Trust.

“Delighted to Join CFT at an Exciting Time”

Em says she is looking forward to making a difference in her new role.

“Fuelled by curiosity and a desire to learn and understand the breadth of the NHS I have enjoyed a diverse career to date and have been incredibly fortunate to work with some amazing people – patients, families, and colleagues. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with the talented staff in the Trust as we all seek to improve care for patients.”

Reflecting on her new role in Cornwall, she added:

“I am delighted to be joining CFT as a NED at an exciting time for the Trust. I am particularly struck by the commitment and energy of all the people that I have met so far, and I look forward to playing my part as a member of the Board.”

A Valuable Addition to the Board

Trust chief executive Debbie Richards welcomed the appointment and highlighted Em’s wide-ranging experience.

“We are very fortunate to have attracted someone with such a diverse, illustrious NHS career and I believe the Trust will undoubtedly benefit from that.”

Em will take up the post for a term of three years.