Chief Executive

NHS Ayrshire & Arran

John Burns joined the Health Service in 1983 having completed a BA (Hons) in Business Studies.

Starting in Personnel he moved into Hospital Administration working in Dundee and Glasgow.  During this period John completed the Diploma in Health Service Management, an MBA and a Certificate in Health Economics.

In 1993 John was appointed as Director of Planning and Contracts at the Southern General Hospital NHS Trust and then South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust.

2001 saw John move to Dumfries and Galloway to take up post as Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity NHS Trust.   In 2003 John was appointed Director of Health Services/Deputy Chief Executive for NHS Dumfries and Galloway and was appointed Chief Executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway in May 2004.  In February 2012 John moved to take up the position of Chief Executive for NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

John is the Chair of the NHS Scotland Chief Executives Group and is currently chairing Programme Boards for Financial and HR Shared Services, chairs the Management Steering Group and Diagnostic Steering Group and Co-chairs the Programme Board for Development of General Practice in Scotland. John is a member of the Joint Improvement Partnership Board, Person Centred Steering Group, Technology Enabled Care Programme Board and the Seven Day Working Task Group.

John is an alumni of the Windsor Leadership Trust having participated in the “Newly Appointed Strategic Leaders Programme” in 2003 and the “Experienced Strategic Leaders Programme” in 2013.

John is a Member of the Institute of Health Care Management.

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