Layne-Smith replaces retiring Sandra Goatley, who steps down on 10 April after 10 years with the trust.

The decision to appoint on an interim basis was made to allow time to plan for a longer-term substantive appointment and deliver stability during wider system and national workforce changes.

Ali brings significant senior leadership experience from across the NHS, policing, central government and global industry and is a Non-Executive Director at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has previously held senior roles including Director of People and Culture at London Ambulance Service, Director of People and Organisational Development at West Midlands Police, and most recently Interim Chief People Officer at Salisbury District Hospital during a period of largescale system transformation.

 Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the trust as it navigates several senior leadership transitions and continues to reshape and improve services to meet rising and increasingly complex mental health needs across Kent and Medway.

Sheila Stenson, chief executive of Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, said: 'Ali brings deep experience of culture change and workforce transformation in some of the most complex environments in the public sector. Her leadership will be a huge asset as we move into the next phase of our improvement journey and continue strengthening the support we offer to our people and communities.

'We are grateful to Sandra Goatley for her dedication and loyalty over the past 10 years. She has been an inspirational, dedicated and compassionate leader through an exceptionally demanding period for the NHS, and we wish her a long and happy retirement.'