Midlands mental health trust appoints new chief nurse

Carolyn Green has been named as the new chief nursing officer for Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

“In her short time with us, Carolyn has made such a positive impact in her role and brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge”

Marsha Foster

Ms Green was appointed to the post in an interim capacity in September 2023, after having served as director of nursing and patient experience at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust since 2014.

She said she was “thrilled” to be given the permanent appointment and added: “I have really enjoyed my time in the interim role and have learned so much from colleagues across the trust and wider system.

“I look forward to building on this work and contributing to boosting patient care for communities across the Black Country,” she said.

Ms Green has worked in healthcare, specialising in mental health, since 1995, when she began work as a mental health nurse in South London.

Her career then took her to child and adult mental health services (CAMHS) across the capital, before she moved to the Midlands to work as a trust leader.

Since stepping away from frontline care, Ms Green worked as a senior lecturer at the Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School, before taking on the senior nursing role in Derbyshire.

Marsha Foster, chief executive of Black Country Healthcare, said: “I am delighted to welcome Carolyn permanently to the role of chief nurse at Black Country Healthcare.

“In her short time with us, Carolyn has made such a positive impact in her role and brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge.

“We look forward to continuing to work with her to deliver high quality, compassionate care for our communities.”

The trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country, covering Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Across the whole of the region, it provides adult and older adult mental health services, specialist learning disability services, mental health services for children and young people, and also community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley.

The trust is also the lead provider for mental health, learning disabilities and autism across the Black Country, meaning it works in partnership with health, social care, voluntary services and community organisations to develop and deliver services.

It was formed in April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.