After more than four decades of unwavering service, in both the public and voluntary sectors, Kate Bell is bidding farewell to her full-time career – leaving behind a legacy of compassion, strategic leadership and transformational change that has touched communities across Scotland.
Kirsty Orr, NHS Lanarkshire’s Head of Planning and Development, shared her heartfelt tribute: “All of us would agree that Kate is a compassionate and considerate leader who always goes the extra mile to ensure an inclusive approach to her work. She has an impressive track record of delivering strategic change and transformational programmes of work – locally, regionally and nationally.
“All that remains for me to say is to thank Kate for her dedication over the past 40 years and for making a difference for our patients, workforce and the public. We send you on with our best wishes for the next exciting chapter, whatever that may bring.”
Kate’s journey began in Easterhouse’s social work department, where her early commitment to community development laid strong foundations for what would become an extraordinary career.
In 2000, she was seconded to the NHS to develop a youth health service – a move that marked the beginning of a long and impactful tenure in healthcare. In 2004, Kate joined NHS Lanarkshire as a senior manager in the Change and Innovation Department.
Over the following two decades, she worked across primary and secondary care, helping to shape and lead complex change programmes that made a lasting difference.
Kate’s expertise and leadership took her to senior positions, including director of mental health and strategy and interim director of mental health at NHS Tayside and later as a principal advisor at the Scottish Government. In this national role, she helped lead the development of Scotland’s first mental wellbeing strategy.
Alongside her senior management roles, Kate nurtured a passion for education and learning. She completed a research degree, tutored part-time at the University of Edinburgh and co-authored and delivered an MSc in service improvement.
Reflecting on her career, Kate said: “It’s been 42 years of working full-time and all of it has been in the service of people. Over this time, I think I’ve had three careers – my community development work, my social work career, and my NHS career. I really want to thank everyone, especially the people I’ve worked with over a long time.”
Kate has exciting plans – starting with travelling to France this summer to visit friends, indulging in some red wine and, later this year, hitting the slopes in Canada for some skiing adventures.
