Daren Mochrie QAM, Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and Chief Executive Officer of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, will be leaving both roles to take up a new high-profile senior ambulance role abroad in December 2024.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE said: “Daren assumed the AACE chair role in August 2020 at a particularly challenging time for ambulance services with the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and the high-profile performance pressures that continue to be exacerbated by hospital handover delays. In addition, he had to lead the sector through widespread NHS industrial action including within ambulance services. During this time, he has been an inspirational leader playing a key role in the ongoing development of AACE, ensuring the voice of the ambulance sector is clearly heard in the media, and engaging with the most senior stakeholders, including government ministers and organisations such as the Royal Foundation. We are extremely grateful for the commitment he has shown in the AACE chair role and wish Daren all the very best for the next exciting chapter in his career.”
Outgoing AACE Chair Daren Mochrie QAM said: “I joined the NHS at sixteen years old and have given over 36 years of service, 33 of which have been in the ambulance sector, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would leave the UK NHS as chief executive officer of North West Ambulance Service and chair of AACE. It has been a privilege to lead AACE and I will leave with mixed emotions, but it feels like the right time to go and explore new opportunities for myself and my family and to leave NWAS and AACE in the best possible shape.”
AACE will now begin work to identify a suitable successor via its standard chair election process and will ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements.