- 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
London, 21 October 2021 – 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.”
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Notes to editors
For further information, please contact communications@priorygroup.com
About Priory and MEDIAN
Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. It treats more than 70 conditions including depression, anxiety, addictions, and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across its nationwide network of sites. It is also one of the leading providers of specialist residential adult care, and is organised into two divisions – Priory Healthcare, and Priory Adult Care. Priory is part of MEDIAN, one of Europe’s leading providers of high-quality mental health and medical rehabilitative services. Overall there are 443 facilities in MEDIAN, comprising 321 Priory facilities in the United Kingdom, and 122 facilities in Germany, and approximately 35,000 employees, caring for 260,000 patients.
MEDIAN’s clinics and facilities in Germany comprise 19,200 beds and treatment places and approx. 15,000 employees in 13 federal states. MEDIAN is Germany’s largest private operator of rehabilitation, neurology and orthopaedic treatments and together with Priory, stands for modern, quality rehabilitation at the highest level. MEDIAN is also participating in the management of patients who have experienced symptoms of Covid-19, and/or suffered with Long Covid. It is sharing its knowledge and expertise globally via its information website for medical professionals and Covid-19/Long Covid patients: www.long-covid.de