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NEW PCT CHIEF EXECS ANNOUNCED

Chief Executives for new Primary Care Trusts in the South West are announced today.

They will lead new Primary Care Trusts which will be established on 1 October 2006. The new Primary Care Trusts will play a major role in improving the health of their population and delivering services that meet the personal needs of local people.

On 16 May 2006 the Department of Health announced the new shape of Primary Care Trusts across England. In the South West, this resulted in our Primary Care Trusts reducing from 32 in number to 14.

These changes will ensure that new Primary Care Trusts are more closely aligned with the boundaries of Local Authorities that provide social care, and this will allow us to develop closer working with Local Authorities.

It is important to have strong and effective leadership in the new Primary Care Trusts, and the selection process for Chief Executives has been rigorous.

The new Chief Executives for Primary Care Trusts in Cornwall and the South West of England are:

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: Ann James
Gloucestershire: Jan Stubbings
Bristol: Deborah Evans
Wiltshire: Jeff James
Somerset: Ian Tipney
Dorset: Peter Mankin
Bournemouth and Poole: Debbie Fleming
Devon: Kevin Snee
Plymouth: John Richards

New Chief Executives for Swindon and North Somerset Primary Care Trusts will be confirmed shortly.

Three other Primary Care Trusts are unaffected by the reconfiguration process. Their Chief Executives are: Rhona MacDonald at Bath and North East Somerset, Penny Harris at South Gloucestershire and Peter Colclough at Torbay Care Trust.

"These appointments are a major step in providing strong and effective leadership in Primary Care Trusts, which will enable us to take forward and accelerate the next phase of NHS reform,“ said Sir Ian Carruthers OBE, Chief Executive of NHS South West.

“The Primary Care Trusts of the future will play a vital role in improving health and healthcare for their local population. They will commission the very best NHS services for their patients, and will help drive more modern NHS services in the community as well as enabling local people to look after their own health and well-being.”

For further information, please contact Andrew Millward, Director of Communications and Corporate Services at NHS South West, on 01249 858652 or Kate Barrett on 01249 858858.


Ann James
Ann worked as a Marketing Manager in the private sector before joining the NHS National Management Training Scheme in 1989. During her NHS career Ann has worked at all levels including several senior posts in community and mental health services across the country. Ann has extensive experience working as a commissioner of health services at a Primary Care Trust, Health Authority and at Regional Office level. She has a particular interest in mental health services, children and families and older people and is highly committed to clinical, public and patient involvement. Ann has been Chief Executive of Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust since its establishment in 2001.