Aneurin Bevan health board chief executive to retire
Nicola Prygodzicz announces early retirement, ending a 35‑year NHS career as chief executive of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
Nicola Prygodzicz will step down as chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board at the end of March next year, announcing early retirement to spend more time with her family.
The decision was communicated in an internal message to staff, where she reflected on a 35‑year NHS career.
She added that entering her fifth year in the role and following six years as executive director of planning made the timing right both personally and professionally.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have made this decision as undertaking this role has been the greatest privilege of my 35 year NHS career.”
Prygodzicz first joined the NHS in 1991 as a finance management trainee, laying the foundations for a career that would span finance, digital transformation and executive leadership.
She spent 16 years with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, holding senior finance positions that earned her Chartered Accountant status.
In 2014 she moved to Aneurin Bevan University Health Board as assistant finance director, a role that positioned her for rapid progression.
The following year she was appointed executive director of planning, digital and IT, overseeing a period of significant investment in technology and service redesign.
Her remit later expanded to deputy chief executive, where she supported the board through the COVID‑19 pandemic and the subsequent recovery phase.
She assumed the chief executive post in September 2022, inheriting a health board serving Caerphilly County Borough and the wider Gwent area, responsible for hospitals, community services and mental health provision.
During her tenure the board has navigated staff shortages, rising demand for acute care and the rollout of new digital patient pathways, while maintaining performance targets set by NHS Wales.
The board’s chair has thanked Prygodzicz for her leadership, noting that her strategic focus on financial stability and patient‑centred care has left a lasting imprint.
A recruitment process for her successor is now under way, with the board pledging continuity of service and a smooth transition for patients and staff alike.
The board employs roughly 12,000 staff across hospitals in Newport, Abertillery and surrounding communities, delivering acute, community and mental health services to a population of around 600,000.
Its annual budget exceeds £1.2 billion, making financial stewardship a core priority for any chief executive.