The long serving chief executive of NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is to retire next year.

Mary Hutton will leave the role in spring 2025 after 14 years of service and the search is now on for her replacement.

During her 36 year NHS career she has worked in Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Berkshire before coming to Gloucestershire in 2011.

She took up the CEO post in 2021 and has also been the One Gloucestershire Integrated Care System lead since 2018.

During her tenure she has championed increased access to volunteering opportunities and a focus on supporting the growth of resilient communities.

She said: "It has been my honour and privilege to have served the county for nearly 14 years and a decision like this is always made with a heavy heart.

"I am very proud of what we have achieved, in particular our backing for a resilient primary care and continued long term investment in premises and our successful clinical programme group approach to leading service improvement across the system.

"We have also built strong relationships with the voluntary and community sector and worked with the local authority to place a renewed focus on children and young people, supporting older people, people with learning and physical disabilities, carers and mental health investment.

"It will be very sad to say farewell to so many wonderful caring and dedicated health and care professionals, but I look forward to continuing to support Gloucestershire over the next few months with a continuing emphasis on prevention, reducing waiting times and improving access, strengthening primary and community services and digital transformation."

Colleagues have praised her integrity and commitment.

Dame Gill Morgan, chair of NHS Gloucestershire ICB, said: "Mary's contribution to health and care in Gloucestershire is considerable. She has displayed great leadership over many years and has done so with compassion, integrity and a positive spirit.

"She is extremely well respected and well loved in the county and her commitment to service users, in particular some of the most vulnerable in society, has marked her out as an excellent chief executive. We wish her a long, happy and healthy retirement."

Pete Bungard, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council, said her "unwavering commitment" to improving the lives of local people by developing healthcare in Gloucestershire was greatly appreciated.

"She leaves a strong legacy for partnership working, which current and future leaders in the system can build on," he added.

Elizabeth O'Mahoney, regional director for NHS South West, described Ms Hutton as a "steadfast and compassionate leader" who had shown "remarkable resilience" during challenging times, including the pandemic.

"Mary embodies the true essence of NHS leadership and has made a significant and lasting contribution to health and care, both in Gloucestershire and the wider South West," she added.

"It has been a genuine privilege to collaborate with her."

NHS Gloucestershire ICB will now begin a recruitment process for their new CEO.