Chris Chaney orchestrates a unique blend of art and medicine as the Chief Executive of CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Chaney’s narrative is punctuated by a familial dichotomy, with half of his kin dedicated to the NHS and the other half to artistic pursuits. “Occasionally we get the odd kind of rogue banker,” he quips, “but deep down we’re artists.” This blend of healthcare and creativity seems to have predestined him for a role where both would converge.
Chaney took on a role at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity that was meant to be a brief interlude, yet it spanned a decade of transformational work in children’s health and research fundraising. “My one year turned into ten years,” he recounts.
One highlight of Chaney’s career saw him help establish a £2 billion fundraising campaign at the University of Cambridge. It was here that he honed his ability to unite disparate departments towards a common goal, a skill that would serve him well in his current role at CW+ which he took up in 2016.
At CW+, Chaney finds himself at the nexus of his lifelong interests. “Chelsea and Westminster is a hospital that, when it opened 30 years ago, was the third largest art gallery in London,” he explains. The Trust’s commitment to integrating the arts into healing is a vision that resonates deeply with Chaney’s own beliefs.
Under his guidance, CW+ continues to explore the therapeutic potential of the arts, building on a legacy of pioneering research in the field. For Chaney, the role is more than a job; it’s a harmonious blend of passion and purpose, a melody that continues to evolve and enrich the lives of those it touches.
The Philanthropic Pulse
At the heart of Chaney’s leadership lies a symphony of strategic challenges and philanthropic insights. Chaney reflects on the essence of his role, “Working in high-profile institutions is undoubtedly a privilege, but with that privilege comes the challenge of juggling a lot of agendas.” His tenure is marked by the delicate art of prioritisation, fostering relationships, and building partnerships.
Representing the interests of third parties, whether partners, individuals, or families, is a responsibility Chaney does not take lightly. “Their voices are important, they have expectations and you have to represent them as well,” he asserts, highlighting the multifaceted nature of his role.
Chaney credits his intellectual growth to the daily interactions with global subject matter experts, which honed his ability to distil complex concepts into comprehensible narratives. This skill proved invaluable in navigating the mysterious waters of NHS and higher education philanthropy.
The pandemic brought a surge of awareness to the role of philanthropy in the NHS, a silver lining that Chaney welcomes. “Philanthropy enables people to try new things,” he notes, underscoring its critical role in bridging the gap between taxpayer funding and innovative proof of concepts.
The principle of CW+, shared by Great Ormond Street and Cambridge, is clear: philanthropy is the catalyst that transforms promising ideas into tangible realities. For Chaney, this is where philanthropy truly shines, providing the necessary support for effective delivery and infrastructure. “That’s where philanthropy came to bear,” he concludes, encapsulating the transformative power of charitable partnerships.
Bridging Innovation and Healthcare: The CW+ Vision
Chaney articulates the essence of the organisation’s mission with clarity and vision. “We’re not just a traditional hospital charity,” he asserts. “We’re working at the forefront of healthcare technology, deeply involved in the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, and committed to bringing the best of global best practices to our local context.”
At CW+, the focus is on adaptability and innovation. Chaney describes the organisation’s approach as one of co-design and meaningful long-term partnerships, rather than transient, transactional projects. “It’s about engaging with our Trust's workforce, understanding their adaptability, and ensuring clinical and operational buy-in,” he explains.
This is the approach behind CW Innovation, a joint venture between the Trust and the charity, which plays a crucial role in seeking out and supporting new technologies and ways of working to meet the Trust's evolving needs. “The CW Innovation team do the heavy lifting,” he says, “allowing clinical and operational staff to focus on what matters most - improving care and quality for our patients and community.”
Chaney reflects on the journey ahead, acknowledging the challenges but remaining optimistic about the future. “There’s no great mystery as to where healthcare is going,” he states. “The real challenge is the appetite and tenacity to get there.”
Shared Success and Patient-Centricity
As the Chief Executive reflects on the organisation’s journey, he envisions a legacy defined by innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to patient-centred care. “We’re not here to say we invent everything or that we’re the best at everything,” Chaney humbly remarks. Instead, CW+ prides itself on supporting its Trust to be a test-bed for new approaches, continuously seeking more effective ways of working.
With this support in place, some of the Trust’s initiatives have seen wide adoption - its elective recovery programme, for example, has been rolled out to over 40 hospital trusts across the UK after reducing waiting lists by 28%. This success is a testament to the Trust's close relationship with NHS England and the Federated Data Platform partnership. “It’s hugely exciting to see the work here having an impact in other organisations and health systems,” Chaney notes "and CW+ has a part to play in that."
At the heart of the CW+ ethos is the open-source design of the programmes it develops and funds, allowing for scalability and adaptability. The ‘Best for You’ mental health programme, which supports young people and families across North West London, has already seen over 100,000 website visits, indicating its far-reaching impact.
Chaney attributes the organisation’s ability to spread best practices to the collective effort and ethos of CW+ and its partners. He emphasises the importance of sharing not only successes but also failures, to prevent the wasteful repetition of ineffective methods.
In his closing remarks, Chaney highlights the critical role of co-creation with patients and families in the success of programmes such as ‘Best for You’. “The most critical reason why Best for You is working well is that we’ve involved young people and families in designing every element of it from the outset,” he explains. This inclusive approach ensures that the initiatives are truly reflective of the needs and experiences of those they aim to serve, thus making way for a legacy that is both innovative and empathetic.
