Damon Kent will undertake this role alongside his current position as managing director of Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management (NHFM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
He will begin the role on 1 June 2026 and succeed the current QEF managing director, Gavin Evans, who is moving to North Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
He will provide overall leadership and operational oversight across the two organisations, which deliver specialist estates, facilities, construction management, business consultancy and clinical services to the NHS.
The appointment also supports the Great North Healthcare Alliance, which is focused on collaboration between Gateshead, Northumbria, North Cumbria and Newcastle Hospitals to support the delivery of excellent patient care and improve patient and staff experience.
NHFM and QEF will continue to operate as separate legal organisations, each with their own board of directors and governance arrangements.
Both organisations play an important role in supporting NHS services across the region, employing a large and dedicated workforce and delivering a wide range of essential services every day.
Damon, who is a chartered surveyor by background, has been managing director of NHFM since 2019 and has overseen significant growth in the organisation during that time, alongside leading a major capital investment programme.
I very much look forward to the new challenges this joint role will bring and to working closely with the QEF board and team to further develop the organisation where we can.
QEF and NHFM both play a crucial role, every day of the year, to ensure patients can access high-quality and compassionate care. We are also a significant employer and contributor to the regional economy. This is what gives me huge pride in the role I do.”
Damon Kent
Firstly, I would like to thank Gavin for his leadership, commitment and contribution to ensuring our organisation is in the strong position that it is today. I wish him well in his new role.
The board and I are very pleased to be able to welcome Damon, and I am sure that his wealth of experience and knowledge will help us to build on our success. Our strategy for the next few years focuses on championing our people, supporting the delivery of outstanding care and ensuring that we are growing our business in a collaboration and sustainable way. I look forward to working with Damon to help us achieve this.”
Maggie Pavlou, Chair of QEF