DOH announces new regional directors

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."