A new Chair is joining Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) to lead the Board of Directors. A highly respected and accomplished senior leader, Antony Kildare (Tony) brings extensive experience from non-executive, trustee and chair roles across healthcare and the NHS, as well as over 25 years in leadership positions, with experience spanning commerce, innovation and regeneration.
Tony’s appointment was made following a robust recruitment process conducted by NHS England in May 2025. He will formally join the Trust in August 2025.
Tony was Independent Chair of Medway Community Healthcare until August 2021. He was a Board Director of the International Health Alliance, a Non-Executive Director (NED) and Chair of The Health and Europe Centre until June 2022. He is a former NED and Independent Chair of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Until 2020, he was a Board Advisor and inaugural CEO of a children’s services company.
Currently, Tony is Chair of national advocacy provider POhWER, and Chief Executive Officer of IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s leading road safety charity. He has worked extensively in economic development, business investment, enterprise innovation, complex infrastructure, and regeneration programmes in health, education, children’s services, and community and neighbourhood development projects across the UK and Europe.
He brings extensive commercial experience spanning more than two decades, specialising in the development of strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and special-purpose entities across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. His expertise lies in driving performance improvement, organisational change, restructuring, and large-scale business transformation through collaborative engagement with diverse stakeholders.
Tony said: “I’m delighted to be joining Leeds Teaching Hospitals as its Chair and to be working alongside such a dedicated senior team. It’s a real privilege to become part of an organisation with such a strong, positive culture, shaped by The Leeds Way values. I’m excited to get started, meet our patients and our brilliant teams and help share the outstanding work that happens here every day – there is so much to be proud of.
“While it is very important to recognise the great work the Trust does, in light of recent reports one of my key priorities will be to focus on where we can make improvements in safety, whilst restoring confidence in our services, and ensure we are all working together to build a culture of compassionate care.”
Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Tony to Leeds Teaching Hospitals as our new Chair. He brings a wealth of experience and insight that will be invaluable as we embrace new opportunities and challenges. Our strategy is to continue improving so that we provide outstanding care for our patients, and I’m very much looking forward to working with him.
“Tony joins us at a crucial time and I’m confident his contribution will be a great asset to the Board, the wider organisation, and the people we provide care for as we continue to deliver on our vision and priorities for the Trust.
“I would also like to thank our outgoing Chair, Dame Linda Pollard, for her outstanding leadership and dedication over the past 12 years as she comes to the end of her term and the maximum time allowed in this role.
“Dame Linda has supported us to improve the quality of our services for patients, enabled us to eliminate our financial deficit to put the Trust on a more secure financial footing, and has been a huge champion of making Leeds Teaching Hospitals the best place to work for staff. Her leadership across the organisation, and the wider health and care community, has been invaluable and will be sorely missed. Dame Linda has made an immeasurable and lasting difference to our organisation and I wish her all the very best with her next ventures.”
Full details about the Trust’s Board can be found at leedsth.nhs.uk/about-us/trust-board