CSAN names former family doctor as new chief executive

THE SOCIAL action arm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, CSAN, has appointed a former GP, Philip McCarthy, as its new chief executive.

Mr McCarthy, who takes up the post on 1 December, has held leadership roles in the NHS, is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Bristol and a part-time teaching fellow at the University of Bath. He helped to establish the Bristol homeless health service and has an MSc in Global Ethics.

“He has considerable experience and expertise in leadership and management within the NHS and the Third Sector [charities],” said CSAN chairman, Bishop Terence Drainey, on introducing the new CEO. “He also has skills in medical politics, service development, education and ethics, and above all in Catholic Social Teaching.”

A Catholic, Mr McCarthy and his wife are very involved in their parish of Clifton Cathedral in Bristol and are members of Pax Christi, Cafod and Emmaus Bristol.

Mr McCarthy succeeds Helen O’Brien who is retiring from the role after five years. She is credited with developing relationships between the growing number of Catholic charities along with continuing policy and advocacy work in Westminster and Whitehall across a range of issues, including child poverty, welfare reform and migrants.

“I look forward to further developing relationships with our network and becoming part of a successful dialogue between those coordinating social action on the ground and those committed to promoting it in parliament,” said Mr McCarthy.

In 2008, he walked 1,200 miles from Canterbury to Rome following the Via Francigena. Earlier this year, he travelled from Rome to Istanbul on foot and by bicycle. He has written about his experiences in a book entitled, Rome Alone.