News

The Department of Health has announced the appointment of four Regional Directors of Health and Social Care.

They are:

- Peter Garland covering the North;
- David Nicholson covering the Midlands;
- John Bacon covering London and
- Ruth Carnall covering the South.

The  appointments  are  being  made  as part of the process of Shifting the Balance  of Power to give greater authority and responsibility to the staff and  organisations  who  are  working  most  directly  with  the public and patients.

Nigel  Crisp,  NHS  Chief  Executive,  said:  " Over  the  next  18  months  we  will see the disappearance of the regional offices,  with many of their key functions including performance management and  planning  moving to the new Strategic Health Authorities. The regional Directors  of  Health  and  Social  Care  will  become  fully  part  of the department  nationally  whilst  having  some  regional  responsibility  for overseeing the develpoment of health and social care.

I  am  very  conscious  of  how  well  regional  offices-and  indeed health authorities-have  serviced  the NHS under the current arrangements. Our new approach  to  devolving  responsibility requires change. This is unsettling for  people  and  we will do everything we can to manage it as smoothly and effectively as possible."