Trust CEO named as interim ICB chief

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board has appointed its third chief executive, and second interim, since it was established last July.

Oxford Health Foundation Trust CEO Nick Broughton will take on the interim role at BOB ICB, which his trust is a member of, in July.

He replaces Steve McManus, who joined the ICB as interim chief in October, and is returning to his permanent CEO post at Royal Berkshire FT.

The ICB has been without a substantive CEO since James Kent quit in September, while its chair Javed Khan went on a “period of extended leave” in April, amid wider concerns about unstable leadership, poor relationships and staff dissatisfaction. Concerns included the failed process earlier this year to appoint a substantive successor for Dr Kent.

Dr Kent, who was health adviser to Theresa May during her time as prime minister, joined BOB’s predecessor commissioning groups as CEO in spring 2020, and was confirmed as ICB chief in December 2021.

Dr Broughton joined Oxford Health in 2020, and was previously chief executive at Southern Health FT, which he led from a Care Quality Commission rating of “requires improvement” to “good”, and at Somerset Partnership FT. He has been a consultant psychiatrist for more than 20 years, and held several medical and clinical director roles.

ICB acting chair Sim Scavazza said: “The ICB has already laid solid foundations within the BOB wider system and we are looking forward to building on them with Nick.

“I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank Steve McManus who has led the organisation so expertly since September last year. It has been a challenging time as we have brought together three diverse clinical commissioning groups and established the ICB.”