ICB chief goes full-time at NHS England
The chief executive of an integrated care system is moving to work for NHS England full time, for an unspecified period.
Adam Doyle has been splitting his role as Sussex ICS chief with working part-time as national director for system development since March last year.
He has now been asked to take up the NHSE role full-time from mid-January.
Sussex staff were told Mr Doyle’s workload has been increasing because of his part in developing a new NHS operating model and oversight and assessment framework, and ”NHS England has asked [him] to continue his assignment in a full-time capacity”.
NHSE told HSJ after publication of this piece that Mr Doyle would still be employed at the ICB, and would be working for NHSE on an “assignment contract”. He had not therefore left the ICB, a spokesman said, although both NHSE and the ICB have declined to say if he is expected to return.
In the message to staff in Sussex, ICB chair Stephen Lightfoot said: “Whilst I will miss working with Adam so closely, I am absolutely delighted that he is continuing such important national work. He is without question one of the most talented chief executives I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and I am looking forward to supporting him in his national work.
“I will then consider the longer-term requirements for our NHS Sussex chief executive officer role with NHS England and our NHS Sussex board colleagues in the new year.”
Sussex ICB chief people officer Mark Smith will become interim CEO, with Indiana Pearce, deputy CPO, acting up in his role.
Mr Doyle, a physiotherapist by background, has led the ICB since it formed and was previously CEO for the seven Sussex clinical commissioning groups, overseeing their merger into three teams. He had previously worked in commissioning in London and at the Royal Marsden Foundation Trust.
The system has substantial problems, with long elective waits and care quality concerns at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Earlier this year, it kicked off the early stages of a wide-ranging service change programme, including development of neighbourhood and place teams.
NHSE first engaged on new OAF proposals in the spring, but that and the operating model — which is meant to set out organisations’ different roles in oversight and performance management — is now being revised, with publication expected in coming months. The work is being led by Mr Doyle with national delivery director Steve Russell, and director of system architecture Miranda Carter.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said last month that he was “removing [integrated care boards’] responsibility for performance management of trusts”, a move which angered many ICS leaders. He also promised more “league tables”, tougher intervention in poorly performing organisations, and more freedom for others.
Updated on 20 December at midday after NHSE provided further information, stating Mr Doyle had not formally left the ICB.