The Hepatitis C Trust announces change of leadership

The Board of Trustees of The Hepatitis C Trust has announced that Charles Gore, one of the founders of the Trust, will step down from his role as CEO to take up the role of Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool Foundation in Geneva. The Board want to thank Charles for his leadership over the last 17 years which culminated in 2016 with the United Kingdom commiting to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 and a commitment by NHS England in January this year to agree a deal with the pharmaceutical industry that will allow elimination by 2025. Charles will leave to start his new job at the end of June.
“I am leaving the Trust only because I have been offered an extraordinary opportunity to work in global public health and make a difference to the lives of hundreds of millions of people,” Charles Gore said, “and I am leaving the Trust in very good hands, well on its way to its goal of being able to close down because it is no longer needed. I very much hope to stay involved with the Trust and its work.”
The Board are very pleased to announce that Rachel Halford, the Trust’s Deputy CEO for the past three years, has been appointed to succeed Charles as CEO from July 1st. Rachel has over 20 years’ experience of working with people at high-risk of viral hepatitis, and liver disease generally – the homeless, prisoners, substance users and migrants. Passionate about equality and human rights, Rachel was CEO of Women in Prison before joining the Trust in 2015; this experience will be invaluable as prison becomes one of the key locations for diagnosing and treating people with hepatitis C in the UK.
Rachel Halford, incoming CEO, said: “I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to lead the Trust as we scale up to provide peer programmes across the country to reach the many marginalised groups living with hepatitis C. We are expanding rapidly to meet the need to find the undiagnosed and link them into care. With a cure and the goal of elimination in sight, these are exciting times.”
The Board emphasised that the change of leadership in no way affects the Trust’s mission or its unique character as a patient-led and patient-centred organisation. The Board have asked Charles to consider becoming a member of the Board once he steps down.