Finance Director Becomes MF's New Chief Executive

Finance Director Becomes MF's New Chief Executive

Simon Carruth, formerly the MF's director of finance has been appointed Chief Executive, having held the post in an acting capacity for the past year.

Announcing the appointment, chairman of the board of trustees Rex Bloomstein praised the stability Simon had brought to the organisation, and the "fine and important work" he had done leading the development of the Medical Foundation'ss strategic plan for the next three years.

"We concluded that he was the outstanding choice from a short list of four strong candidates," said Rex.

Simon, aged 50, joined the Medical Foundation in 1991 from Hackney Co-operative Developments, a voluntary sector agency helping establish co-operative businesses.

Prior to his work there, Simon, a Philosophy graduate from Jesus College, Cambridge, had worked in a number of capacities for the Confederation of British Industry, including head of the central secretariat. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the London Business School.

Simon says the Medical Foundation'ss priorities include reviewing some of the structures, systems and standards that have been created in its 20-year history "to ensure that we are thoroughly professional and accountable in all our functions."

"Other priorities include providing more services in the UK outside London, where increasing numbers of our clients are located due to the Government's policy of dispersing asylum seekers." At present the Medical Foundation has centres in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle.

"We will continue to challenge asylum regulations that result in many clients becoming destitute," he added. "We will also continue to explore ways that vulnerable victims of torture can be identified and offered appropriate services in the context of an asylum system which demands very speedy and sometimes flawed decision-making, dispersal and in some cases over-hasty removal."

Simon also pledged that the Medical Foundation would continue to campaign against the recent erosion of domestic and international human rights standards on the treatment and interrogation of prisoners held in the "War on Terror" and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.