We say a sad farewell and an enormous thank-you today to Non-Executive Director (NED) Elkan Abrahamson who is stepping down from our Trust Board on 31 August after six years.
Elkan is well known in Merseyside and nationally for his work as a solicitor representing bereaved families in the Hillsborough Inquests, the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the UK COVID-19 public inquiry.
He joined our Trust Board on 1 September 2019 and has now served two full terms. As a NED, Elkan’s role has been to provide external expertise, scrutiny and hold the Executive Team to account for the Trust’s performance on everything from quality of care to staff morale, how we manage our money, and research and innovation.
During his time on our Board, Elkan has been the Trust’s Wellbeing Guardian and a member of several NED-led Board committees including the Performance Committee, the People Committee and the Quality Committee. He also chaired our Charity Committee until this was replaced by an independent Board of Trustees in 2024.
In 2024, Elkan was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool for his work on the Hillsborough Justice Campaign. He is currently campaigning for a Hillsborough Justice Law that would place a duty of candour on all public bodies. Earlier in his career, he worked with people who were wrongly arrested during the Toxteth uprising.
Kathy Doran, Chair of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said:
Elkan has been a wonderful colleague and Board member for the last six years. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has greatly benefited from his wisdom, thoughtful approach and absolute commitment to doing the right thing for people – in particular, patients, their families and our staff.
We are going to miss Elkan enormously and are very grateful to him for his six years of service on our Board.
From Monday 1 September, Non-Executive Director Anna Rothery will be our Wellbeing Guardian. The role involves ensuring that the Trust adopts a compassionate approach that prioritises staff health and wellbeing and considers this in every decision.
