Farewell Jo Mountjoy | News

After an extraordinary 38-year career in nursing, we are bidding farewell to Jo Mountjoy, our Chief Nurse, who is retiring this week.

Royal Surrey has played a pivotal part in Jo’s nursing journey. She joined the Trust in the early 1990s on Ewhurst Ward before devoting the majority of her career to roles in Emergency Departments across the south and corporate nursing.

As Chief Nurse, Jo has led Royal Surrey through some of the most challenging years in NHS history, from the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery, to major digital innovation and organisational transformation.

Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive, said: “Jo has made a significant positive difference to our organisation. Her dedication, calm presence and unwavering commitment to patient care have shaped our organisation in lasting ways. She has supported teams through challenging times, championed improvements across our services and always kept compassion at the heart of everything we do.”

Jo’s influence has touched every corner of nursing practice. Her pioneering approach to overseas recruitment strengthened our workforce and helped create the diverse, inclusive nursing community we are so proud of today. Her dedication to developing others has built a resilient pipeline of future leaders across nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Professions, raising standards, strengthening clinical governance and nurturing excellence at every level.

Jo introduced Advanced Clinical Practitioner roles, expanded clinical capacity and championed nurse-led research. Her Achieving Excellence ward accreditation programme reshaped local improvement by embedding continuous learning and accountability. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jo was a visible, steady presence on our wards, offering reassurance, compassion and unwavering support. She led the creation of our first hospital vaccination hub, helping colleagues and the community access the vaccine. And in the midst of those challenging days, she even dressed as Florence Nightingale on International Nurses Day to lift spirits.

Jo has been a tireless advocate for colleagues, ensuring everyone feels heard through Freedom to Speak Up and championing wellbeing across the organisation.

Above all, Jo has carried the patient voice with her in everything she does. By inviting patients to share their stories at Board meetings, she brought their experiences directly into our decision-making and reminded us all why we do what we do.

Louise added: “Jo, as you step into your next chapter, we hope you do so with great pride in all you have achieved. You have helped shape Royal Surrey in so many positive ways. Your legacy isn’t just the roles you have introduced, it’s become part of the everyday fabric of the organisation.

“We wish you a very happy and well-earned retirement that involves plenty of rest, lots of holidays and absolutely no on-call duties and early morning alarms.”