Helen Troalen departs SaTH for role at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Helen Troalen, the highly respected Director of Finance at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), has announced she will be taking up a new role as the Interim Chief Finance Officer for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in June.

Ms Troalen leaves SaTH after four years of significant contributions, during which she successfully steered the Trust through a crucial period of transformation, aiming to enhance the experience for both patients and staff.

Her tenure at SaTH was marked by a profound commitment to quality, inclusion, and patient experience, which directly translated into substantial investment for the Trust.

Under her leadership, SaTH secured multi-million pounds in funding, enabling the introduction of modern technology to improve care, including a new surgical robot, and prioritising essential service and estates upgrades across both hospitals.

Key achievements during her time include securing investment for the state-of-the-art Community Diagnostic Centre in Telford, the Elective Care Hub at Princess Royal Hospital, a Gamma Camera Unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and the generational funding for the Hospitals Transformation Programme.

Furthermore, Ms. Troalen's leadership of the finance team was recognized nationally when they won the prestigious HFMA (professional association for healthcare finance) Finance Team of the Year Award in 2024.

Jo Williams, Chief Executive for SaTH, expressed her gratitude for Ms Troalen's dedication. "I would like to thank Helen for her unwavering dedication, commitment and care towards our patients, communities and staff," said Ms Williams.

"Helen has been a fantastic champion for quality, inclusion and patient experience and always ensured that finance is an enabler to our ambitious priorities. Helen has led significant improvements in the organisation, securing much-needed investment for our quality, estates and digital transformation programmes. Through Helen’s leadership we have stronger foundations in place that will help us to continue our important improvement work to deliver excellent care and value for everyone. On behalf of the Board, I want to give our heartfelt thanks to Helen and wish her the absolute best in her new role.”

Reflecting on her time at SaTH, Helen Troalen said: “I want to say a massive thank you to the incredible colleagues and volunteers I have worked with in the Trust. I am proud of the positive change happening locally and the investment we have secured over the past four years that is starting to make a difference to patients and staff.

"I know there is more work to do, but I am confident the Trust is in a stronger place and is making progress in its journey to improve quality and offer value for patients.

"I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my own journey, as an interim Chief Finance Officer in Berkshire, but will continue to follow the exciting transformation happening over the coming years for our communities in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales.”