David Bradley Announces Retirement After 43 Years of Transformative NHS Leadership
David Bradley, Chief Executive of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) today announced his retirement following over four decades of distinguished service in the NHS. David will step down at the end of this year, marking the conclusion of a remarkable career dedicated to advancing mental health services across London and beyond.
David Bradley’s commitment to the NHS began in 1980 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and has spanned some of the most pivotal roles within the sector and country. David’s leadership has been instrumental in delivering high-quality care in mental health, acute and community settings. His vision and determination over the last 43 years have helped improve the lives of countless patients, carers and staff.
As Chief Executive of SLaM since 2019, David spearheaded a transformational period for the Trust. He was instrumental in the creation of the Trust’s strategy, Aiming High, Changing Lives and the development of the Pears Maudsley Centre, a world-class £65m facility, opening in 2026, for children and young people’s mental health. In his previous tenure as Chief Executive at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust he led one of London’s most significant successful mental health development schemes with a new £180m state of the art hospital and overall £1bn redevelopment of the existing site at Springfield, Tooting.
David was one of the founders of the South London Mental Health and Community Partnership, a unique alliance of three London NHS trusts that, after being established in 2017, has transformed outcomes for people with specialist, often complex mental health problems. This was one of the first effective provider collaboratives to be set up in the NHS and redesigned services that have resulted in over £29m of savings reinvested in new services. The model is widely regarded as a national blueprint for partnership working at a system level.
As the NHS London lead for Living Wage, alongside the London Mayor, since 2021 David has enabled improvements in working conditions and increase in fair wages for over thousands of the lowest paid health and social care staff across the capital. 24 NHS Trusts now are accredited as paying London Living wage compared to just eight in 2020.
Under David’s guidance, SLaM has become a leader in anti-racism and community transformation. He has championed equality and diversity, actively working to dismantle barriers and promote inclusivity for both staff and service users through the creation of the Trust’s first ever anti-racism strategy and as an original pilot site for the Patient Carer Race Equality Framework. His vision for ensuring patients in the community get the 24/7 support they need, when they need it, was a key factor in SLaM being awarded £2m last year as one of only six national community transformation pilot sites in the country.
Jane Bailey, Chair of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said:
David Bradley’s retirement marks the end of an era for our Trust and the wider NHS. His unwavering dedication, visionary leadership, and authentic commitment to equity have left an indelible mark on our organisation and the communities we serve. David’s legacy will continue to inspire us as we move forward, building on the foundations he has laid.
Reflecting on his career, David Bradley commented:
It has been a privilege to serve the NHS and to work alongside so many talented and compassionate individuals. I am proud of what we have achieved together, particularly in advancing mental health services and championing equity. As I prepare for retirement, I am confident that the Trust will continue to thrive and innovate, always keeping the needs of our communities at its heart. I want to thank our dedicated staff, our patients and their carers for their unrelenting dedication and support to improving mental health services.
A recruitment campaign for a new Chief Executive will begin in due course.
For further information, please contact the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Communications Office.
