Steve Ford

As the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Steve has more than 30 years’ leadership experience in the health and social care sector and a strong record of transforming organisations both strategically and culturally.

For the last 15 years, Steve has been Chief Executive at Parkinson’s UK and during that time led the charity through a time of significant growth, developing the services and support that are available to people affected by Parkinson’s, as well as building a new and innovative approach to research. Steve has always recognised the importance of good quality health and social care and so developed the UK Parkinson’s Excellence Network, as an innovative partnership between the charity and health professionals to drive up standards.

Previously Steve was a general manager and chief executive in the NHS, most recently as Chief Executive of South West Kent Primary Care Trust. Throughout his career, Steve has worked closely with occupational therapists and has been a champion of multidisciplinary care.