Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) has officially appointed Julia Nixon as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Nixon, a highly accomplished NHS leader with a distinguished background in both clinical practice and emergency operations, assumed her role on Monday 13 July 2026 following a rigorous national recruitment process.
Nixon brings more than 24 years of frontline and strategic NHS experience to HDFT. She succeeds Russell Nightingale, who departed earlier this year to become Chief Delivery Officer at University Hospital Tees after serving as HDFT’s COO since April 2021.As COO, Nixon will oversee the daily execution of HDFT’s clinical services, driving strategic development and ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate patient care across the region.
Nixon’s career is rooted in frontline clinical care as a Registered Nurse and Advanced Clinical Practitioner. Prior to joining HDFT, she served as the Associate Chief Operating Officer for Remote Care at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust for two years. In this role, she successfully spearheaded innovative urgent care pathways and emergency remote services.
Her compassionate leadership and operational restructuring earned her the “Leader of the Year” title at the 2025 Control Room Awards.
Before her tenure at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Nixon spent 11 years at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, moving through progressively senior leadership positions including Clinical Lead for Transformation, Operations Director for Urgent and Emergency Care and Cancer Services, and Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
Welcoming her to the executive team, Jonathan Coulter, Chief Executive of HDFT, said:
I am delighted to welcome Julia to our Trust. She joins us with a wealth of experience gained across a range of NHS organisations and a proven track record of leading complex operational services. Julia’s leadership style, commitment to quality, and passion for improving services for patients make her an excellent fit for our organisation. As we continue to develop our services and respond to the challenges facing the NHS, her expertise will be invaluable in helping us deliver outstanding care for the communities we serve.
Reflecting on her appointment, Julia Nixon said:
I am delighted to be joining Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and becoming part of an organisation with such a strong reputation for delivering quality improvement, high-quality care, and putting patients at the heart of everything it does. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about supporting frontline teams to provide the very best care possible. I look forward to working with colleagues across the Trust, our partners, and local communities to build on the excellent work already taking place and to help shape the future of services for our patients.
This appointment completes a critical piece of HDFT’s executive leadership framework, positioning the Trust to effectively meet modern healthcare demands while maintaining a relentless focus on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.
I worked with Julia in Intensive Care in Leeds many years ago and she was an outstanding nurse. Keep the faith Julia!! And well done xx