Dr David Foster
![Dr David Foster](/thumb_pic/100/100/speaker_thumbs/DavidFoster.jpg)
David Foster was appointed Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health for England in December 2008. His portfolio includes responsibility for acute nursing, nursing and midwifery workforce and education issues, measuring the quality of nursing and midwifery care, implementing clinical academic research training programmes and advice on midwifery issues.
The Department of Health recruited David from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust where he was Director of Non-medical Postgraduate Development. Prior to that he was Director of Nursing at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust during which time he also chaired the national Association of UK University Hospitals Directors of Nursing Group for a two-year term.
David trained in nursing at the Middlesex Hospital, London and in midwifery at Falkirk and Stirling Royal Infirmaries, in Scotland. His postgraduate career focused on intensive care nursing before moving into management and professional leadership roles. He obtained an MSc in management and was awarded a PhD for his research into developing nurses as managers. He also has a diploma in personnel management and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
David is a visiting professor at Buckinghamshire New University and King’s College, London. He has an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University and is a member of the Court of London South Bank University. He is also a trustee of the Florence Nightingale Foundation.