Chief Officers Blog 20 August 2021

Firstly, let me say thank you for the warm welcome and the assistance I’ve received since starting here at the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership as interim Chief Officer. As you know, my position here is for a limited period but I, with your support, want to make sure that our Partnership and the Integrated Care Board, is the very best it can be. Thanks to the fantastic work of Jackie Bene and Alan Yates before me, there is a tremendous legacy for us to build on.

For those of you who I have not had the chance to speak with directly, I’d just like to confirm my priorities while I’m in this role:

1. A common purpose, where all of us involved in the Partnership work together to ensure the design framework of the ICS is advanced and we hit the required milestones. This will enable me to handover to the permanent Chief Officer (once appointed) with the ICS in the best possible position. This means the safe and effective transition of the CCG functions into the new Integrated Care Board; with our nine Places well established and organised; and with thriving Provider Collaboratives working well together. 
2. Continuing to build on already great relationships with all our partners and stakeholders; listening and ensuring every voice is heard – including those in our communities; and co-producing our future. 
3. Looking after our workforce and protecting their health and wellbeing; enabling them to do the very best they can do and be successful in their endeavours.

The changes that are now already well under way represent an extensive and long term reorganisation for the NHS. I believe this is an incredible opportunity for all of us who work in public service for health and social care, to really tackle not just health inequality, but societal inequality. I have no doubt that you, like me, welcome this challenge. I will of course be working closely with David Flory, Interim Chair, to ensure that together, we make significant progress.

Colleagues in our CCGs – who will transfer into the ICS on 1st April, 2022 – are closely involved in this transitional work and I am grateful to them for ‘leaning in’ and supporting us in various ways and with various resources. Accountable Officers are closely supporting work streams in our development plan, and Dianne Johnson, Accountable Officer at Knowsley CCG will be working with the Partnership as Director of Transition to oversee the transfer of CCG functions and their closure. She will be part of the core team here and will be working closely with all our directors.

Those of you who already know me will know that I am approachable, accessible and committed to progress. It is really important to me that the openness and transparency already in place across the Partnership thrives and becomes even more embedded.