Dr Buki Adeyemo

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I came to work for the NHS in 1997 from Nigeria, where I first practiced medicine. My background is as a psychiatrist, dual qualified for old age and adults. I am Chief Executive of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, a leading provider of mental health, social care, learning disability, substance misuse and primary care services in the West Midlands. I am delighted to join the Mental Health Network Board as a NHS Chief Executive representative, and am excited about sharing learning and helping to drive further transformation through the Board and Network.

Where did you start your NHS career and how have you got to where you are today?

In Nigeria, I heard the wonderful things about healthcare being free at the point of need in the NHS, and I wanted to find out more. I was very curious.

That led to my journey to the UK and my NHS career starting. The NHS was obviously very different to my experiences in Nigeria, and it was not always easy for me. It was personally quite hard to settle in a new country and to make new friends. There was also very little help back then for international medical graduates, which is why I am so passionate now about orientation and a warm welcome to international members of our workforce.

I’ve worked in North Staffordshire for the majority of my NHS career and it is a great place to be. I became a consultant old age psychiatrist in 2007 at Combined Healthcare, and the Medical Director in 2012. I was delighted to be appointed Interim Chief Executive of the Trust in December 2021, and then Chief Executive in December 2023.

What a fantastic journey it has been, and continues to be, from my initial education at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned on that journey?

The most important part of my journey and working practice is to be true to yourself and your values. Ensure that you develop people as you go along, and always do the right thing for your patients and your workforce. Personally, these are the best ways to have a fulfilling and great work experience and career.

When did you join the NHS Confederation and why?

I have been a member of the NHS Confederation for over six years. The Confederation presents the opportunity to learn from and share learning across the healthcare system, and in particular mental health. Combined Healthcare is enormously proud to have been awarded the prestigious ‘Trust of the Year’ award at the HSJ Awards 2022, and we are keen to share our learning as well as to not be complacent as we want to continuously improve all of the time.

What excites you the most about the direction of the NHS Confederation, and how will you contribute towards it?

There is a great potential for transformation if we collectively take the opportunity to highlight excellent practice in our sector and learn from what needs to be improved upon. We can embed this good practice and learning nationally in mental health. I have always worked in a multidisciplinary way, and it’s about delivering the whole package required for a person’s health and wellbeing. To do the very best for people and our communities is what really excites me, and not to just focus on one single aspect; it’s about how every organisation and service collaborates together.

What is your single biggest priority for the sector over the next 12 months and beyond?

The biggest priority is effective collaboration across all organisations, services and touch points on our shared goal of improving the mental health of our local populations. We need to consider the impact of wider determinants of health in housing, recreation, employment, etc. and key work such as the Community Mental Health Transformation programmes are making excellent improvements in connecting stakeholders together to drive through mental health improvements in their communities.

Through the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, we have already seen fantastic work and collaborations happening between community groups in our locality and Combined Healthcare. Our Trust has been involved in community group collaborations with Stoke-on-Trent City Council and local football clubs Stoke City and Port Vale FCs, where we’ve seen significant footfall and uptake in the community from people wanting to socialise and also seek mental health support.  

What does it mean to you to be a member of the Mental Health Network board?

I am proud to have the opportunity to really make a difference in terms of sharing what we know and to learn from others, and bringing that all together for further improvements across the system through the Mental Health Network Board. We can learn so much from our peers and colleagues, to influence change for the better and to champion best practice and innovation in the mental health sector. There is so much good work happening out there, and ongoing learning also provides us with the opportunity for continued improvements. Everyone wants to work together for the common goal of ensuring the absolute best care is delivered.

What is something members of the network, staff, or even other board members, might be surprised to know about you? Eg, what is your proudest achievement? How would you fill an unexpected day off?

I enjoy the process of baking bread, and find it is a good way to de-stress. I don’t use a bread maker, I bake it from scratch, and that is part of the enjoyment. The process of getting all of the ingredients together, pounding the dough, and waiting for the dough to rise is therapeutic. The aroma of fresh bread, and looking forward to eating the finished hot loaf with melted butter. It really is a wonderful process, and something people may be surprised to hear that I enjoy doing.