Priory appoints Rebekah Cresswell as UK CEO

• Rebekah Cresswell will lead Priory forwards into its next phase of development, and oversee the implementation of its strategy
• André Schmidt will continue as CEO of MEDIAN in Germany, and Group CEO of MEDIAN across both countries

Priory, the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services and specialist residential adult care services, has appointed Rebekah Cresswell as its new UK Chief Executive. This follows the merger of Priory and MEDIAN, under the new holding company MEDIAN B.V. Effective from 1 November 2021, Rebekah will take over UK responsibilities from Dr. André Schmidt, who will continue on the Board of Priory, and remains Group CEO of MEDIAN across both countries.

Rebekah, Priory’s first female CEO, joined Priory in 2012 with a track record of senior management expertise in operational and strategic management roles, specialising in quality improvement and performance management. During her role as Chief Operating Officer of Priory Adult Care, she has led 240 sites across the four UK nations where she has been responsible for engagement of the workforce, developing governance structures and achieving optimal financial performance.

Over the course of her career, Rebekah has managed large organisations during periods of change - overseeing the implementation of new systems and the delivery of quality improvements across Priory facilities.

Before joining Priory, Rebekah held senior posts across the NHS including Head of Governance & Quality Improvement at NHS Stockport and then as Assistant Director of Clinical Quality & Patient Safety at NHS Northwest Strategic Health Authority.

Dr. André Schmidt, CEO of MEDIAN and Priory, said: “We are delighted that Rebekah will be taking up the role as our UK CEO of Priory, as she is uniquely positioned to drive the organisation forwards. We have made great progress in growing together as a combined company and I am looking forward to working with Rebekah as we move forward to building Europe’s leading provider of high-quality mental health and medical rehabilitative services.”

Rebekah Cresswell, incoming UK CEO of Priory, said: “I am honoured to lead Priory in the UK at this important time for the organisation. Priory has a strong worldwide reputation for delivering quality mental healthcare for patients in the UK. I am tremendously excited about the opportunities for the future and working with our commissioners and partners including NHSE and others. I am also proud to work alongside, and to grow, our talented and dedicated workforce to meet the increasing demands both for mental healthcare, and for specialist residential adult care services, and welcome the opportunity of realising Priory’s full potential as part of the combined group with MEDIAN.”

ENDS

Contact: [email protected]

About Priory and MEDIAN

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. We treat more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across our nationwide network of sites. We also support autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within our specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, one of Europe’s leading providers of high quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises 290 facilities with 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people in the UK, 120 facilities with 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients in Germany, and 15 facilities with 2,000 beds caring for 13,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees overall.