Ian Lush, chief executive of Imperial Health Charity, will retire at the end of July after more than a decade at the organisation’s helm.

Lush has been the chief executive of the charity, which supports the five hospitals in the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust by funding major redevelopments, research and medical equipment, since December 2014.

The charity said that under Lush’s leadership, it has “grown significantly in terms of size and ambition”, adding that Lush played a “critical role” in leading its efforts to support hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lush was also the chair of NHS Charities Together, an umbrella organisation representing more than 230 local NHS charities, from 2020 to autumn last year. In this post, he oversaw a Covid-19 appeal, which raised more than £150m.

He was awarded an OBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours for charitable services to the NHS.

Before joining Imperial Health Charity, Lush was the chief executive of the Architectural Heritage Fund for 11 years. 

He previously held the roles of managing director of the London Mozart Players and marketing director at the Barbican Centre, following a career as a viola player with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lush said: “After more than ten years in this wonderful job, it has not been an easy decision to retire, but I feel it is the right time for me, and – with a new chairman, a strong board of trustees, and a great leadership team in place – the right time for the charity as well.

“This role has been the greatest privilege of my long career; it has been a source of constant and considerable pride to know the difference we’ve been able to make for the staff and patients of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust over the last ten years.”

Dr Andreas Raffel, chair of Imperial Health Charity, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to Ian for his dedication and expert leadership of the charity over the last ten years, and to wish him the very best for his much-deserved retirement.

“Under his tenure the charity has gone from strength to strength, and is well set up for success under the leadership of a new chief executive.”

Tim Orchard, chief executive of the Imperial College Healthcare Trust, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Trust, I would like to thank Ian for his excellent leadership of Imperial Health Charity over the past ten years. 

"This is exemplified by the charity’s amazing response during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the work since to recover and reset. Ian will leave the charity in very good shape and we look forward to achieving even more through our partnership in the years to come.”

The charity will soon begin recruiting for its next chief executive.