Prof Abbs has confirmed his intention to stand down later in the year, once a new chief executive has been appointed, with exact timings subject to the appointment process and the notice period of his successor.

Under Prof Abbs' leadership the trust completed a merger with Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust in February 2021; and, jointly with King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, delivered the largest global go live of the Epic electronic health record system in October 2023.

Trust chairman Charles Alexander said: ‘On behalf of the board I want to express our enormous thanks to Ian for his continued leadership, and for supporting the board to enable a smooth and well managed transition as we seek a future leader of equal calibre to lead this great organisation.

‘Those who know Ian will recognise that his determination and ambition are always matched by his commitment to deliver the best possible care to all our patients and his compassionate support for almost 24,000 colleagues across our 5 hospital sites and in our community services.'