12 May 2006
The membership of the new management team that will lead the English NHS regions became clearer this week with the appointment of eight of the ten new strategic health authority chief executives.
The new appointees will take office on July 1 when the ten authorities will officially take over from the existing 28 organisations.
In a further move, the Department of Health hinted it would again divide the jobs of permanent secretary and NHS chief executive – both were held by Sir Nigel Crisp until his retirement in March.
It said an advertisement would be placed soon for Crisp's 'successor as chief executive of the NHS'. However, some of the early candidates for the job have been appointed to the new SHAs.
Mike Farrar, the West Yorkshire SHA chief executive, will take the same position at North West SHA. David Nicholson, the chief executive at Birmingham and Black Country, will take the most high-profile job, as chief of the new single SHA for London.
The acting NHS chief executive Sir Ian Carruthers has got his wish of leading one of the new authorities – he is to become chief executive of the South West SHA. However, he will remain on secondment as acting NHS chief executive until the end of the year.
The posts in the West Midlands and the East of England have yet to be filled.
King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson welcomed the appointments, particularly that of David Nicholson. 'This is one of the most vital and challenging posts in the public sector,' he said.
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