NHS Forth Valley has appointed Tracey Gillies as its new Medical Director. Tracey is currently Medical Director of Acute Services at NHS Lothian and will take up her new post in October.

NHS Forth Valley Chief Executive Jane Grant said: “I am delighted that Tracey has accepted the post of Medical Director. She has an outstanding record in health service delivery and is committed to ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred care. Tracey believes that the needs of the patient are paramount in any service redesign and I look forward to working with her to build on the many successes she has achieved during her career with NHS Lothian.”

Tracey joined the NHS in Bristol in 1989 and moved to Scotland in 1994 to take up the post of Research Fellow in Vascular Surgery at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Appointed a Consultant in General Surgery in 2004 she has since held several senior managerial posts within NHS Lothian including Clinical Director for Surgery, Associate Divisional Medical Director for Surgical Services and a secondment as Divisional Medical Director.

Tracey has chaired the regional cancer planning group and been involved in the development of an electronic patient management system that delivers benefits to both patients and clinicians. She also helped set up a dedicated space to see surgical referrals and admissions which helped relieve pressure on the Emergency Department.

Commenting on her new appointment, Tracey Gillies said: “I am thrilled to be coming to NHS Forth Valley and look forward to working with all the staff to enhance the delivery of patient care as we move forward with integration between health and our local authority partners.”