Mary Edwards

Mary graduated from London University in 1983 in social policy and nursing before starting her NHS career by working clinically in London. She completed a MSc in social research methods at Surrey before working in senior management positions at District and Regional Health Authorities and the Department of Health, specialising in nursing development, clinical effectiveness, and research and development.

Mary joined Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in 1995 as Director of Nursing and Patient Services and was appointed as the Chief Executive in January 2003. She successfully led the integration of Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust with Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust to form Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 9 January 2012. She retired from Hampshire Hospitals and the NHS at the end of December 2016.

Since July 2018, Mary has been Chair of the Board of the Pelican Cancer Foundation. Pelican is a medical charity that supports clinical staff across the UK to improve the outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer.

Mary joined the Board of the University of Winchester in August 2017, becoming Vice-Chair in August 2020. She was appointed Chair of the Board in August 2021.