Manx Care pays tribute to 'great friend' Andrew Foster who died in March

Andrew Foster died in March after a short illness

Further tributes have been paid to Manx Care chairman Andrew Foster CBE, who died last month after a short illness.

The health care provider's vice-chairwoman Sarah Pinch said his legacy would be "lasting and life-changing for many people" on the island.

Mr Foster was appointed in September 2020, at the start of the transformation of the island's healthcare services.

Ms Pinch said Manx Care had "lost a great friend and a great leader".

Speaking at the health care body's latest board meeting, she said Mr Foster had spearheaded the establishment of new ways of working, which had led to improvements in the island's health care.

By "improving the culture of the workforce, increasing levels of trust, and encouraging staff to work together across the organisation" great improvements had been seen in standards of care and outcomes for patients, she said.

"Andrew was a strong leader, a thoughtful and a caring colleague, an insightful and a collegiate chairman, and his knowledge and expertise were invaluable to us as a new organisation," she added.

Prior to his appointment Mr Foster had an extensive NHS career in the UK, including at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.