The chief executive of a leading Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) has announced she is leaving.

In an email seen by Digital Health News, Fiona Dalton, who has served as chief executive at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) since 2013, informed colleagues that she has accepted a new position as CEO and president of Providence Healthcare in Vancouver, Canada.

“UHS is an amazing hospital and the values of this trust shine through,” Dalton said in the email.

“Every day I have seen people act with integrity, intelligence, compassion and determination to make sure that patients get the best care that we can possibly achieve.

“I do not have the words to explain what a privilege it has been to be CEO here. I absolutely believe that UHS will keep developing and going from strength to strength.”

The email did not confirm when Dalton, who has previously served as deputy chief executive at Great Ormond Street Hospital, would be leaving.

In a separate story, in December the chief information officer (CIO) at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said it was a “big decision” to link up data from its neonatal intensive care unit with its electronic patient record (EPR).

The trust went live with iMDsoft’s MetaVision in their neonatal intensive care (ICU) unit two months ago.