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Two ICSs fail to appoint chiefs as others confirm their new leaders

Published on: 11 Nov 2021

Two integrated care systems have failed to appoint a chief executive, while about a dozen other systems have announced their new leaders.

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

However, no appointment has been made for Greater Manchester or Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin ICSs. It is understood several others ICSs have also failed to appoint.

Greater Manchester 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. 

In a statement, Greater Manchester’s ICB chair designate Sir Richard Leese said: ”I wanted to let you know that we have not appointed to this significant role this time and will be seeking new candidates in due course. 

”In the meantime, the recruitment of non-executive directors for the ICB is under way, and I can confirm the intention is to begin the appointment process for executive roles in December.”

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.

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 on 12 November with new ICB CEOs confirmed.

 

ICB chief executive designates confirmed so far:

London

North Central London: Frances O’Callaghan, current North Central London ICS joint executive lead

North East London: Zina Etheridge, Haringey Council chief executive.

North West London: Rob Hurd, current North Central London ICS joint executive lead

South East London: Andrew Bland , current South East London ICS joint executive lead

Midlands

Birmingham and Solihull: Failed to appoint

Derbyshire: Chris Clayton, Derbyshire CCG chief and ICS executive lead.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire: Simon Trickett, currently CCG chief in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland: Andy Williams, LLR CCG chief and ICS lead

Northamptonshire: Toby Sanders, currently Northamptonshire CCG chief and ICS lead

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire: Amanda Sullivan, currently N&N ICS lead and CCG chief

Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin: Failed to appoint

North West

Cheshire and Merseyside: Graham Urwin, currently north west regional director for performance.

Greater Manchester: Failed to appoint

Lancashire and South Cumbria: Kevin Lavery, currently chief executive of Wellington City Council, New Zealand.

North East and Yorkshire

Cumbria and the North East: Sam Allen, Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust chief.

West Yorkshire: Rob Webster, West Yorkshire ICS lead and previously South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust chief.

South East

Sussex: Adam Doyle, Sussex ICS lead and CCG chief executive

South West 

Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire: Sue Harriman, currently Solent Trust chief executive.

Dorset: Patricia Miller, currently Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust chief executive.

Gloucestershire: Mary Hutton, currently Gloucestershire ICS executive lead and Gloucestershire CCG chief executive.