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News
03 May 2011
Primary Care Trusts Work Together to Deliver NHS Reforms
PRIMARY Care Trusts in the South West are streamlining their management teams as part of new cluster arrangements to take forward the Government’s NHS reforms.
As set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2011/12, all Primary Care Trusts retain their statutory powers and obligations, but can work together as a “cluster” under a single Chief Executive and single management team.
The new cluster arrangements will enable a clear line of accountability, strengthening the delivery of current PCT functions in terms of statutory duties, quality, finance, performance and the NHS Constitution requirements through to March 2013.
They will also ensure that statutory Primary Care Trusts are in the best position to deliver the NHS reform programme and maintain delivery of day-to-day NHS business.
All clusters will work to ensure reductions of 43% in management costs, as set by the Department of Health.
The new structures have been developed locally and agreed by the South West Strategic Health Authority and the Department of Health.
A single Chief Executive for each cluster has been appointed through a competitive recruitment process open to all PCT Chief Executives in the South West. They will now lead the next steps to appoint management teams in time for the new cluster arrangements, which formally take effect from 1 June 2011.
The seven Primary Care Trust clusters in the South West are as follows:
Cluster |
Primary Care Trusts |
Chief Executive Appointed to Cluster |
Previous post of Cluster Chief Executive |
1 |
NHS Bristol, NHS North Somerset and NHS South Gloucestershire |
Deborah Evans |
NHS Bristol |
2 |
NHS Devon, NHS Plymouth and Torbay Care Trust |
Ann James |
NHS Devon |
3 |
NHS Bournemouth and Poole, and NHS Dorset |
Paul Sly |
NHS Dorset |
4 |
NHS Gloucestershire and NHS Swindon |
Jan Stubbings |
NHS Gloucestershire |
5 |
NHS Bath and North East Somerset, and NHS Wiltshire |
Jeff James |
NHS Wiltshire |
6 |
NHS Somerset |
Ian Tipney |
NHS Somerset |
7 |
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |
Chief Executive recruitment process still underway |
|
The new clusters are not statutory bodies but are necessary to support the transition process and deliver the new healthcare landscape set out in the Government White Paper, Equity and Excellence, Liberating the NHS.
Existing PCT Boards will continue to have a key role in delivering their statutory business, decision making and accountability, supported by the single executive teams in the clusters. As such, the name and ‘branding’ of current Primary Care Trusts will not change.
Strategic Health Authorities will oversee their performance in 2011/12, after which the new NHS Commissioning Board will support and hold them to account until the proposed abolition of Primary Care Trusts in March 2013.
