Professor Rafferty will take over from Edward Astle, who has stepped down for personal family circumstances, on 1st May 2025. He has over 20 years of experience working at board level for NHS organisations, including serving as chief executive of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust until his retirement in October 2024.

His role at The Christie is for an initial term of three years.

He also was the out of hospital lead CEO for the Cheshire and Mersey regional incident control centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as founding the Zero Suicide Alliance UK and leading the NIHR Mental Health Mission for the NHS, having been made an honorary professor at Liverpool University following establishing a national centre for mental health.

On his new role, Professor Rafferty said: “I am thrilled to be appointed chair of The Christie, returning to where I first began my career. I am looking forward to contributing to and growing The Christie’s already significant success.

“I aim to bring a collaborative and inclusive leadership approach to ensure the Board and Council of Governors achieve the right mix of ambitious outlook, strategy and capability to remain future-focused and accountable to patients, staff and wider stakeholders.