New regional directors of health and social care to be appointed

The government is to appoint new regional directors of health
and social care as part of its drive towards more closely
integrated services, writes Janet
Snell.

NHS chief executive Nigel Crisp said the new post-holders and
their staff would have responsibility for overseeing “the big
issues” in health and social care.

The directors will be a link between the department of health,
the regions and the 30 proposed new strategic health
authorities

Speaking at a conference of NHS managers in Manchester last week
Crisp stressed the importance of building up primary care trusts as
“the building blocks for the future”.

But later he ducked a question seeking clarification on how new
care trusts will fit in with primary care trusts.

“There is still some policy work to be done around care trusts
so I’d rather not say anything on that at the moment,” he said.