Appointment of Board Members For New Integrated Care Board Cluster

The local Integrated Care Board has announced new joint appointments to its Board.

The three existing NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) for Derby and Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will ‘cluster’ as part of wide-ranging Government reform of the NHS and healthcare landscape. The ICBs’ cluster arrangements will mean that the three current ICBs will work together whilst remaining separate legal entities and will have responsibility for healthcare planning and provision across Derby City, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire. The aim is to streamline operations, adjust the existing ICB role to have greater focus on health need and outcomes, and to reduce the overall taxpayer cost of NHS commissioning organisations. The clustered ICBs will oversee the local delivery of ambitious plans for NHS healthcare, set out in the NHS’ 10 Year Plan.

The ICBs’ Chair, Dr Kathy McLean OBE has now appointed six members of the existing ICB Boards as Non-Executive Directors of the clustering ICBs’ Boards, along with nine partner members and a further member with a specific role in relation to mental health. Non-Executive Directors play a vital role in NHS organisations, bringing independent oversight, expertise and constructive challenge to ensure the highest standards of care, governance and performance are maintained. Partner members are appointed for their clinical and professional experience and expertise, as active members and leaders of the health and care community.

The appointed Non-Executive Directors and their portfolio areas are confirmed as:

• John Dunstan – to lead on oversight of audit matters. John is a qualified accountant and an experienced Chief Finance Officer, including FTSE100 and major accounting firm experience.             
• Margaret Gildea – to lead on oversight of remuneration and human resource matters. Margaret is an HR professional with 30 years’ experience at Rolls Royce, including as company director of learning and development and divisional executive vice president of HR.
• Jon Towler – to lead on oversight of commissioning matters. Jon has a business background, including eight years as a Director of the UK’s leading wholesaler of office products.
• Mehrunnisa Lalani – to lead on oversight of citizen voice arrangements. Mehrunnisa’s career has been in role related to diversity, including most recently as Director of Inclusion, Corporate Complaints, Consumer Affairs, and Equality and Diversity at the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
• Sharon Robson – to lead on oversight of quality and service improvement matters. Sharon has been a registered nurse for 42 years and is an has held a wide variety of senior clinical leadership positions including Board level Executive and Non-Executive roles across the East Midlands.
• Stephen Jackson – to lead on oversight of finance and performance matters. Stephen is a qualified accountant and has held a range of roles in the public and private sector, including five years in Hong Kong as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Development and IT for Holiday Inn – Asia Pacific.

Dr McLean said: “I am delighted to appoint our set of Non-Executive Directors to the ICBs’ Boards. These are very important roles for the local NHS at a time of significant transition and change, not just through the clustering of the ICBs, but as the NHS seeks to maintain and recover services, and play a part in the wider social and economic development of our geographic area.

“Each Non Executive Director will have significant committee responsibilities and will collectively hold the Executive Team to account for its overall approach to planning and delivery. As Boards that wish to fully engage with local citizens, all members will promote open and transparent decision-making and ensure the NHS is fully accountable to local people.”

These joint appointments follow the announcement in October of the ICB Cluster’s Executive Directors. The appointed Partner Members for the Boards are to be confirmed in due course. The three ICBs’ Boards will meet in common for the first time on Thursday 20^th November at Bridge House in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.