NHS leader joins university as honorary professor

Raj (pictured) has been Chief Executive of the organisation since April 2019 – the Northern Care Alliance is the NHS Group, which brings together Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Prior to this Raj was the NCA’s Chief Strategy and Organisational Development Officer and Deputy Chief Executive. Raj is also the former Chief Executive of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Foundation Trust and Managing Director of Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network.

Raj has a long-standing link with Salford as before these posts he was Salford Royal’s Executive Director of Strategy and Corporate Development. He has also held a number of regional and national leadership positions in health development and planning. He spent the early part of his career in the oil and gas industry, is an economist by training, and is a Human Resources and Organisational Development professional.

On his appointment, Raj said: “I am extremely proud and honoured to be appointed to the post of honorary professor at the University of Salford. Salford Royal, and now the Northern Care Alliance, has had a long and fruitful relationship with the University of Salford. This appointment is further evidence of how our partnership is supporting the people we serve to have healthy lives, to advance research and to educate and train future generations so that this country benefits from the many talents our young people bring.  

“I believe that great health and social care requires organisations to be strong on research and education as well as having strong clinical and care services. We are lucky to have a university that shares our passion and commitment to advancing care in innovative ways. I am hugely grateful to the Vice Chancellor for her support of the NCA that is further demonstrated through this appointment.”  

Dean of the School of Health and Society, Professor Margaret Rowe, said: “We are delighted to welcome Raj to this honorary appointment. Raj is a fantastic leader and a great supporter of the university.

“Here at Salford, we have been working closely alongside Raj and the NCA to develop opportunities for workforce development, research, exceptional industry placements and enhanced employability. We are proud to have developed a number of joint appointments between the two organisations in order to support these aims. Now we are working together to look at how we can start developing health services, which could be housed in the future ‘Health Campus’ with the university.”