A nurse with a strong track record in leading successful and innovative teams has just been appointed to the most senior nursing post at the James Paget University Hospital.
Paul Morris will become the hospital’s new Director of Nursing at the end of March, bringing with him 20 years of experience in the profession.
The 38-year-old from Eye started his career at Ipswich Hospital, where he completed his nurse training in 2002 before joining front-line teams in the Medical Assessment and Critical Care Units.
He then moved to the hospital’s Emergency Department, where he was appointed Lead Nurse in 2014.
Paul remained in the post for two years, during which time his department was rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), before moving to the West Suffolk Hospital at Bury St Edmunds as Senior Matron.
He was promoted to Deputy Chief Nurse and Head of Patient Safety at the hospital in 2017.
“I am absolutely delighted to have been selected as the Director of Nursing at the Paget, which has such a strong track record in providing high-quality, patient-focussed care.
“Nursing is a fantastic career - and I have always enjoyed encouraging my teams to innovate and embrace technology to continuously improve the quality of care we offer patients. I am also passionate about education and the development of staff.
“I am looking forward to joining the Paget team.”
As Director of Nursing, Paul will lead the nursing, midwifery and allied health professional teams to ensure the delivery of safe and compassionate care across the hospital.
His responsibilities will include leading on safeguarding, infection prevention and control, vulnerable patient groups including learning disability and dementia and non-medical education, training and practice development.
Chief Executive Anna Hills said: “Paul brings a great deal of experience to the role of Director of Nursing. The Board of Directors and I look forward to welcoming him to the Trust – and working with him as we continue to improve our services for patients after receiving our fourth consecutive ‘Good’ rating from the CQC.”
Paul will succeed Julia Hunt, who retires in March after more than 30 years of dedicated service at the James Paget, where she started her career as a student nurse in 1988.