More ICS chief executives appointed

Two more integrated care boards have announced their chief executives, leaving eight systems that have not yet revealed whether they have appointed a leader.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight integrated care system has appointed its current leader, Maggie McIsaac, as chief executive designate. She was previously leader of the six clinical commissioning groups across Hampshire, Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth – successfully merging them into one CCG in April this year.

She also led the NHS response to the pandemic across Hampshire and Isle of Wight and looked over the implementation of the vaccination programme in the area.

Ms McIsaac said: “I am hugely ambitious for Hampshire and Isle of Wight. We have some fantastic services that deliver excellent care for our patients, however I am all too aware that there are some sections of our communities for whom we must and will do better. I see my appointment as the chance to continue to make improvements, and to work alongside our partners to deliver real change.

Meanwhile Lincolnshire’s ICS has appointed John Turner as it’s CEO designate. Mr Turner is currently CEO of Lincolnshire CCG.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Turner said added: “It has been a great privilege to have worked with colleagues in the Lincolnshire NHS and wider health and care system over the past years, particularly throughout the pandemic period.

“I am looking forward to continuing to build on the great work that happening within the county to help deliver better health and care services and outcomes for local people.”

That leaves eight systems that are yet to announce whether or not they have appointed a chief executive. They are:

• Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West
• Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
• Frimley
• Hertfordshire and West Essex
• Humber, Coast and Vale
• South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw
• Suffolk and North East Essex
• Surrey Heartlands

To date, 28 of the 42 ICS chief executive positions have been announced, while six confirmed they were unable to recruit during the first round of recruitment. 

Five systems in the Midlands have failed to appoint a chief executive - Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Black Country and West Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Birmingham and Solihull.

Black Country ICB chair designate Jonathan Fellows said: “Over the next few months we expect to restart the recruitment process to ultimately find someone who can work with system partners to create a fully mature, thriving ICB with a strong place-based approach to delivery and transformation. In the meantime we are working on interim arrangements to ensure strong leadership over this transitional period.” 

In Birmingham and Solihull ICS David Melbourne, who has been leading the ICS’s development, will be designate interim chief executive of the ICB. Karen Helliwell will remain as interim accountable officer of the CCG.

The Shropshire ICS said the ”recruitment process to identify a permanent chief executive will restart imminently”. It said the incumbent, Mark Brandreth, had “decided not to pursue this opportunity”, and he would remain in the interim.

Greater Manchester is the sixth system that failed to recruit. It is one of the largest ICSs and has been regarded by some as a leader in integration and system working, having been made a “devolved” NHS region five years ago, and becoming one of the first ICSs. Its interim lead, Sarah Price, will continue as interim chief officer until another attempt in the new year. 

The systems will carry out the next round of recruitment over the next couple of months. 

ICS Devon and Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership have both appointed CEO designates for their new integrated care boards. Jane Milligan will take the helm at Devon, while Anthony McKeever has been appointed at MSE, it was announced today (Monday).

Ms Milligan joined the Devon system in April 2021 as its CCG accountable officer and leader of the Devon ICS, having previously led the health system in north east London since 2017. 

Mr McKeever is the current executive lead of Mid and South Essex HCP, and joint accountable officer for the CCG. 

Frances O’Callaghan, the current lead for North Central London ICS, has been appointed CEO designate for the system while Andrew Bland has been appointed for South East London ICS. He is currently joint executive lead for the system.

Rob Hurd, current North Central London ICS executive lead, has been appointed chief executive of North West London’s integrated care board. He was seconded to NCL ICS from his role as chief executive of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust, helping to lead the systems response to the pandemic.

Sarah Blow has been announced CEO designate of South West London’s ICB. She is currently the ICS lead and CCG accountable officer.

Meanwhile Jonathan Higman, current CEO of Yeovil Trust which is merging with Somerset FT, will take the helm at Somerset ICS.

Recruitment started in the autumn for the chief executive designates, and several have been confirmed over Thursday and Friday — see the full list below.

Meanwhile, Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS has appointed Kevin Lavery as its integrated care board chief executive designate. He has most recently been chief executive of Wellington City Council in New Zealand. Prior to this he led Cornwall Council, and was also chief executive of outsourcing giant Serco for two years in the mid-2000s.

And in Cheshire and Merseyside, NHSE’s North West regional director of performance and Improvement Graham Urwin has been appointed chief executive designate. He has a local government finance background and worked as the North West regional incident director throughout the pandemic.

The new CEOs are “chief executive designates” for the NHS Integrated Care Body for their ICS, and will be confirmed in this role if the Health and Care Bill is passed by Parliament, as expected, early next year. Under the bill, ICBs will from April be the part of ICSs’ structure which will make most executive decisions and will control NHS resources, including taking on the functions of clinical commissioning groups.

Recruitment for the 42 ICS CEO roles started in the autumn, run by NHS England.

This story is being updated as ICSs confirm news about their ICB CEOs.