We are pleased to announce the appointment of Salman Desai KAM as our new Chief Executive.

The appointment follows an intensive recruitment process with involvement from non-executive directors and internal and external stakeholders.

Salman has been Acting Chief Executive since October. He has a long career history within the ambulance service, joining as a student paramedic in 1997.

After spending seven years in patient-facing roles, he moved into managerial positions. From 2007 to 2015, Salman was the Head of Service Development in Cumbria and Lancashire. He then spent some time at the University Hospital of South Manchester as Transformation Lead.

He joined the NWAS board of directors in 2016 as director of strategy and planning. In 2022, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive, then took on the interim role of Chief Operating Officer, before most recently stepping up as Acting Chief Executive.

Salman was awarded the prestigious King’s Ambulance Medal in 2023. He is passionate about improving equality, diversity and inclusion within the trust. He supported the introduction of the Race Equality Network in 2021 and is currently the Chair of the trust’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion sub-committee, in which he has been driving improvements in patient experiences and staff engagement.

NWAS Chairman Peter White said: “Salman’s wealth of knowledge and experience shone through during the recruitment process, along with his passion for the service and positive vision for the future. Salman cares deeply about the staff and patients of North West Ambulance Service and is dedicated to improving experiences for all.

“This is an exciting time for NWAS. Under Salman’s leadership, I am confident we will continue deliver the best possible service for the people of the North West.”

Salman added: “I’ve been extremely proud to work for the ambulance service in the North West since I joined 27 years ago, so to be appointed as Chief Executive is an amazing honour. We have an incredible team of dedicated, caring professionals who come to work every day to do their best for patients. I’m looking forward to leading this team and working with partners to tackle system challenges together, continuing to improve patient experience and create a diverse and inclusive organisation.”

As Salman is already Acting Chief Executive, he will continue to lead the organisation and officially commence the new role from 1 January 2025.