New Chief Executive appointed at Evelina London

A new Chief Executive has been appointed to lead Evelina London’s Women's and Children's Services, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Gubby Ayida will take on the role from 30 May 2023.

Gubby is currently Medical Director of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She has been a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 2001. With a strong background in medical management and leadership, Gubby has successfully led the Women and Children’s Division across their two acute hospital sites. She was also Associate Medical Director for Strategic Programmes from 2017 to 2020. 

More recently, since 2020 Gubby has been the Special Advisor to the Trust Board on diversity and inclusion. 

Gubby succeeds Marian Ridley, who led Evelina London for more than a decade, and Dr Sara Hanna, Evelina London's Medical Director, who took over from Marian in December 2022 as interim Chief Executive.

Gubby said: “I am very excited and honoured to have the opportunity to lead Evelina London and to help it continue to grow into a world-leading centre of life-changing care for even more children, young people, women and their families.

“As a proud graduate of St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School, I’m delighted to be returning to a place where I have so many happy memories from my clinical training. I look forward to meeting the wonderfully diverse staff and patients later this year, and am committed to equity and inclusion for all.”

Jon Findlay, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “I am delighted that we will be welcoming Gubby as Chief Executive of Evelina London in May. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the role with her clinical background and operational management experience.

“I would also like to thank Marian for her dedicated service over the last 10 years. Under her leadership, Evelina London has gone from strength to strength and has a growing range of services and increasing demand for the specialist care it provides to babies, children and women.”

Evelina London's Women's and Children's Services provide care for women, children, young people and their families throughout their lives, from before conception and birth, throughout childhood, and into adult services as part of Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.