New NHS Board appoints executive directors

A new NHS body has appointed six key leaders who will be responsible for making decisions about the commissioning and co-ordination of health services across Derby and Derbyshire.

The NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has appointed the six executive directors, all of whom are highly experienced within the NHS in different roles.

The appointments are: 

The ICB will be established on 1 July 2022 by legislation, and will be the NHS organisation with responsibility for planning to meet local health needs, allocating resources, ensuring that services are in place to deliver against ambitions, and overseeing delivery of improved outcomes for their population. 

The appointment of these directors is the next step in a fundamental overhaul of the way in which health care are commissioned and co-ordinated across Derby and Derbyshire. Further appointments are planned to provide leadership in social care, general practice, provider collaboration, public health and place partnerships.

This will also build up to the creation of an NHS Executive Team, bringing together the ICB executive directors and other key local leaders from across the NHS to create a fully integrated approach across Derby and Derbyshire.

The new executive appointments follow the announcement earlier this year of five non-executive members to the ICB: Julian Corner, Margaret Gildea, Richard Wright, Sue Sunderland and Buk Daddha.

Tackling inequalities in health outcomes, the ICB will be part of the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Care System, continuing to work with partners in local authority, the voluntary sector and others, helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.

Executive Director biographies

Brigid Stacey, Chief Nursing Officer & Deputy Chief Executive
Brigid is currently Chief Nursing Officer at NHS Derby and Derbyshire CCG. Her role is to assure the ICB on its statutory duties with regards to the quality and safety of the services it commissions.

Dr Chris Weiner, Chief Medical Officer
Chris is currently employed by NHS England, and will lead on clinical strategy and clinical standards, including strategic planning for long term conditions.

Keith Griffiths, Chief Finance Officer
Keith is currently Director of Finance at Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. He will be the lead financial executive for the system, working with partner finance officers to ensure the ICB and ICS delivers its financial targets.

Zara Jones, Executive Director of Strategy & Planning 
Zara is currently Executive Director of Commissioning Operations at Derby and Derbyshire CCG. Her role will be to accelerate the development of strategic commissioning to set the direction, align resources and create conditions to enable local providers to improve, redesign and innovate to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities for local people. 

Helen Dillistone, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs
Helen is currently Executive Director for Corporate Strategy and Delivery at NHS Derby and Derbyshire CCG. She will provide the most senior management support to the Chief Executive Officer and ICB Chair in ensuring that the ICB exercises its functions effectively, efficiently, economically and with good governance.

Amanda Rawlings, Chief People Officer
Amanda is currently the Executive Director of People and Organisational Development at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. She will lead the ICB’s human resources function and lead on workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Dr Chris Clayton, Chief Executive Designate of ICB, said he was excited to be working with a team which brings a wealth of experience: "Several of the new executive team have a successful track record right here in Derby and Derbyshire, laying the foundations for the new Integrated Care Board and the wider Integrated Care System.

"We're also beginning this new challenge with colleagues Chris Weiner, who comes to us from NHS England, while Keith is from Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. I'm excited that we're bringing in their new perspectives.

"This is a new body with a new remit and we are already working hard to establish ways of working which will continue to deliver the best possible health and care to the people of Derby and Derbyshire."

John MacDonald, Chair Designate of the ICB, said: "These are vital roles for the future of health and care in Derby and Derbyshire, and I'm delighted with the particular qualities these directors will bring to our work.

"I have worked closely with several of them and seen for myself their commitment and skill, and I know the whole team is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

"We're starting out on an important and exciting phase of managing and co-ordinating health and care services across the city and county."