Dr Catherine Free

The Chief Medical Officer role includes specific responsibility for the development of a forward thinking clinical and quality strategy for the Trust.  They are responsible for leading and directing the Trust’s medical workforce, patient safety and mortality, end of life care, clinical audit, research and development, job planning, revalidation and medical education and training. This role also acts as a Guardian of Safe Working Hours and the output of the medical rota team.

The Chief Medical Officer is the Responsible Officer for Medical Revalidation, is responsible for the clinical sign off of complaints and acts as the organisation’s Caldicott Guardian.

(Voting George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Board member)

Dr Free qualified in Medicine with honours in 1996 and has been working as a Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester since 2006. She has held senior clinical leadership roles since 2012, including Clinical Director for Emergency and Specialist Medicine and Deputy Medical Director and Responsible Officer for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Dr Free’s appointment follows the retirement of Dr Gordon Wood, the current Medical Director at George Eliot Hospital.