'He loved Wigan. He loved Wigan hospital': wife pays tribute to health chief Andrew Foster after his death at 68

Those were the words of the wife of Wigan’s former hospitals boss Andrew Foster, who has died at 68 after a short illness.

Tributes have poured in from the borough and further afield and the flag above Wigan Infirmary has been flying at half-mast.

Mr Foster was chairman of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) in the 1990s, before returning in 2007 as chief executive.

He made many changes to the trust and scooped national awards during his 12 years at the helm.

His wife of 42 years Sara said: “He loved Wigan. He loved Wigan hospital. He loved the staff and the patients, everything. He put staff and patients and patient safety at the heart of everything.”

Mr Foster was born at Christopher Home at Wigan Infirmary and his father Kevin Foster ran furniture business R Foster and Son in Wigan.

He earned a scholarship to a boarding school in Somerset and then went to Oxford University, before working in marketing for Rowntree Mackintosh and at a property company in Wigan.

Mr Foster joined the NHS as a non-executive member of Ormskirk Hospital and then spent five years as chairman of WWL.

Afterwards he worked for the NHS in London, before he was appointed as WWL’s chief executive.

Mrs Foster said: “He was a wonderful advocate for Wigan. He got a lot of high-profile visitors to come to Wigan. He had a good relationship with local MPs. He was all about building relationships. He was never a man who would fall out with people.”

She highlighted a horse visiting a seriously ill patient as something that “summed up Andrew’s approach to patients”.

Mr Foster left WWL in 2019 and worked on a project supporting retired staff returning to the NHS during the pandemic.

He then became chairman of Manx Care, which was transforming the Isle of Man’s health and social care system.

Outside work, Mr Foster, who lived in Parbold, was devoted to his three children and eight grandchildren and enjoyed playing golf.

Mrs Foster said: “He was a fantastic family man. He was calm, he was loving, he was wonderful.”

He died on Monday at Wigan and Leigh Hospice . A funeral will be held at 4pm on Thursday, April 6 at West Lancashire Crematorium.

Medical director Prof Sanjay Arya said: “Andrew will be sadly missed, both as a well-respected and valued work colleague, but also as someone I considered a friend. Andrew was very passionate about patient safety and put it at the forefront of WWL’s agenda, when he was both chairman and CEO of WWL.”

Dr Abdul Ashish, divisional medical director for medicine, said: “Andrew was an inspirational, compassionate and caring chief executive . A true role model in leading with values and inspiration to so many of the staff in WWL. His involvement has not only made a lasting improvement to Wigan hospital, but his coaching style has impacted a lot of healthcare professionals nationally.”

Dr Nayyar Naqvi, emeritus consultant cardiologist, said: “Andrew Foster was the best chief executive I have had the privilege of working with during my 53 years in the NHS. He stands head and shoulders above the rest.”