Chris Oliver

Chris Oliver (he/him) joined Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) in July 2020 originally as the chief operating officer and deputy chief executive, before becoming chief executive in October 2022.

Prior to joining LSCFT, he was the chief operating Officer at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In early 2024, he was appointed as a mental health trust chief executive on the board of trustees for NHS Providers.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey so far.

I completed my accountancy training within the NHS and then moved over to operational roles across Trusts within the West Midlands as well as Cheshire and Merseyside. I’ve been really lucky to have had some amazing roles, working alongside operational and clinical colleagues. As a team, we have driven improvements in access and quality by really valuing colleague empowerment and how this can lead to sustainable change.

What is one lesson or piece of advice you’d like to give aspiring LGBTQ+ leaders?

Everything is possible, even if it doesn’t seem it at the time. Reach out to NHS leaders within the community for advice and guidance. They’ll have walked a similar path and their advice will be invaluable; it was and still is for me now.

What are you most looking forward to about joining the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network?

Joining leaders passionate about LGBTQ+ priorities, working to influence and be a voice for the community. This is both from personal reflection, but also seeing the impact that discrimination can have from working within the NHS, both from a colleague and patient/service user perspective.