With more than four decades of leadership experience across local government, the NHS, the voluntary sector and the private sector, Elsy was most recently chair of NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB.

Elsy, who also recently joined East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust as interim deputy chair and transformation lead, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining NHS Kent and Medway ICB as chair and cannot wait to get started.

‘Throughout my discussions with colleagues across Kent and Medway I have been struck not only by the commitment and passion of the people working across the system, but also by the clarity of purpose and ambition for the future. There is a strong sense that Kent and Medway knows where it wants to go and has already established many of the foundations needed to get there.'