News

Operations directorate: key directors appointed

The NHS Commissioning Board Authority has announced the appointment of the two director posts in the national leadership team of the Operations Directorate:

  • Ann Sutton (currently Chief Executive of Kent and Medway PCT cluster), has been appointed to the role of Director of NHS Commissioning (Corporate) responsible for devising the national framework for, and strategically overseeing, the NHS Commissioning Board’s direct commissioning responsibilities (including specialised services, primary care, public health, healthcare for military personnel and their families and for offenders); and
  • Lyn Simpson (currently NHS Director of Operations in the Department of Health), has been appointed Director of NHS Operations and Delivery (Corporate) responsible for NHS planning and performance, assurance of delivery by CCGs and national lead for NHS emergency preparedness, resilience and response.

Ian Dalton, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of the NHS Commissioning Board Authority, said: “These two posts will provide the strategic leadership and oversight to ensure that we have a strong, innovative and patient-focused commissioning system that improves outcomes, tackles inequalities and supports the NHS in England to be the best it can be.”

These latest appointments mean that the national and regional leadership team of the Operations Directorate is now in place and the recruitment of 16 of the 25 local area team directors who will provide local leadership was also recently announced.

The NHS Commissioning Board takes on its full statutory responsibilities in April 2013. In the meantime, all current NHS planning and delivery responsibilities remain with the Department of Health, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts.