Paul Athey was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the new NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull cluster in December 2025, providing strategic financial leadership across the system.
Paul joined the NHS through the national financial management training scheme, having graduated with a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Birmingham.
Following early roles at West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority and Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust, Paul joined the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 2006 as Head of Financial Management. He was appointed Deputy Director of Finance in 2009 and became Director of Finance and Performance in 2013. Between 2017 and 2019, Paul also served as Interim Chief Executive at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.
In May 2019, Paul joined NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as Chief Finance Officer. Two years later, in summer 2021, he became the finance lead for the Birmingham and Solihull system, where he was responsible for developing the emerging financial framework for the Integrated Care System.
In May 2022, Paul was appointed Chief Finance Officer of the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB). In this role, he played a central part in shaping financial governance, system sustainability and investment planning to support improved health outcomes.
As Chief Financial Officer for the NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull cluster, Paul continues to play an instrumental role in leading the finance and investment strategy, supporting collaboration across organisations, and ensuring the effective stewardship of public resources to deliver the system’s strategic priorities.
