Sir Paul Ennals CBE initially took up post in July 2024 as interim shared chair for Newcastle Hospitals, alongside his pre-existing chair role at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
In May 2025, the Council of Governors for Newcastle Hospitals agreed, along with the Governors from Northumbria Healthcare and Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trusts, that following a recruitment process, Sir Paul would become substantive chair for the three Trusts. For Gateshead Health, this will commence in October 2025.
Sir Paul brings vast leadership experience from large, complex organisations at both a national and local level. His experience ranges from chief executive roles with successful national organisations to chairing influential multi-agency partnerships over a 25-year period.
His professional career has been spent largely within services for vulnerable children and adults, mainly based in London. This included playing a key role in steering the Government’s Every Child Matters programme during the 2000s.
Now based in North Tyneside, he was awarded a CBE in 2002 for services to children with special educational needs and was knighted in 2009 for services to children.
Prior to his appointment as trust chair, he chaired six multi-agency safeguarding boards for children and vulnerable adults, holding the relevant agencies to account for their safeguarding activity.
Sir Paul is also president of VONNE and on the board of Net Zero North East England.
