Chief executive of local health services confirmed
Health / Wed 1st Dec 2021 at 01:55pm
AN experienced leader has been appointed to run the new NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board.
The appointment of Dr Jane Halpin was announced today (insert date). A qualified Public Health doctor, with over 25 years’ experience in the NHS in the area, Dr Halpin has worked as a Medical Director, Primary Care Trust Chief Executive, NHS England Area Director and Clinical Lead for an international consultancy firm.
Dr Halpin is currently the Joint Accountable Officer (Chief Executive) for Hertfordshire and west Essex’s three clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), and lead officer for the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System. She lives and works in Hertfordshire, understands the local health and social care challenges and opportunities, and has strong and positive relationships with partner organisations across the area.
The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) will come into existence in April 2022, after the Health and Care Bill receives parliamentary approval. At this point, the area’s three CCGs will cease to exist.
Under the leadership of Dr Halpin, who will work closely with the designated Chair for the new Board, the Rt Hon Paul Burstow, the new NHS body will be responsible for:
- improving the general health and wellbeing of Hertfordshire and west Essex residents, and improving health and care services in the area
- tackling the inequalities which affect people’s physical and mental health, such as their ability to get the health services they need and the quality of those services
- getting the most out of local health and care services and making sure that they are good value for money
- helping the NHS to support social and economic development in west Essex and Hertfordshire.
The Rt Hon Paul Burstow welcomed the appointment of Dr Halpin to her new role:
“I am delighted that Jane has agreed to take on the key role of leading our new Integrated Care Board. Her experience in guiding teams and systems through change will be critical as we work with our local government and voluntary and community sector partners to improve both the health and wellbeing of our population and our health and care services.
“The board is building on strong foundations laid in recent years. There is a shared commitment to ensuring that the people we serve get the very best opportunities and support they need to lead happy, healthy lives, regardless of where they live or their personal circumstances.”
The new Integrated Care Board will work with local government and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector partners to agree and achieve shared ambitions to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities. It will continue the strong collaborative work between public and voluntary services that has supported Hertfordshire and west Essex’s 1.5 million residents both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will be a focus on integrating the health, social care and voluntary and community services that serve Hertfordshire and the Harlow, Epping and Uttlesford districts of Essex, so that residents get the support they need to lead healthy, happy lives.
Dr Halpin commented:
“I am excited about making the most of the opportunities, and tackling the challenges, that the new Integrated Care Board will face together. I’m looking forward to working even more closely with our local councils, NHS colleagues and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, whose dedication we have all relied on so much during the COVID pandemic.
“Working together, we can build on the commitment, innovation and passion for improvement in our area to develop modern, joined up, high quality health and care services for the benefit of residents and staff.”
David Forman
2021-12-02 19:49:42
These are the concerns about Integrated Care Systems (ICS) raised by Keep Our NHS Public:- The increased presence and influence of the private sector, including the possibility that representatives from private companies (such as Virgin) will have seats on ICS management Boards; The growing dependence of ICSs on a pool of approved companies for system development, on-going management and service provision; The greater use of digitalisation and digital services, meaning less face-to-face appointments with GPs, less continuity of care, de-skilling of the workforce and greater use of less qualified staff; Increased access to confidential patient records by private companies with few safeguards; A shift in the principles underlying the NHS from the provision of comprehensive, universal care, based on need to the management of patient ‘demand’; Worse conditions for the workforce, including 'flexible’ working, meaning staff may be expected to work for different organisations across an ICS; The risk of local pay and a threat to the national scheme (Agenda for Change) that ensures equal pay for equal work. Deregulation, meaning the loss of environmental, social and labour protections; The NHS remains a market, but becomes a deregulated one that’s more attractive to private companies and more open to corruption; The possible disbanding of regulatory bodies that oversee the conduct and competence of health care professions; Lack of accountability, including a reduced role for elected Local Authorities new powers for the Secretary of State to intervene in local decisions, and no accountability to the public. You can hear more from Keep Our NHS Public about ICS reorganization at: https://keepournhspublic.com/campaigns/legislative-changes/integrated-care/
David Forman
2021-12-02 20:29:45
The 'international consultancy firm' Dr Halpin worked for from 2015 was Deloitte. In her company profile it says she had been involved with NHS Trusts and her work included 'service reconfiguration' amongst others. According to the Harvard Business Review 'reconfiguration' is defined thus: "Reconfiguration involves adding, splitting, transferring, combining, or dissolving business units without modifying the company’s underlying structure." Does this mean under Dr Halpin's leadership we will see the combining of more private companies into NHS service provision? You can see Dr Halpin's Deloitte profile at https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/profiles/jhalpin.html
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