NHS Lancashire
As part of the NHS reforms , the responsibility for commissioning local health services is being transferred from primary care trusts (PCTs) to clinical commissioning groups PCTs will be abolished from 2013.
To ensure stability while the changes take place, PCTs have joined together as clusters which will ensure they can continue to deliver an excellent service while undergoing change.
The clusters will also support the development of clinical commissioning groups and ensure a smooth transition of commissioning functions to these groups.
Clustering will not affect frontline services, community staff or patients.
The Lancashire cluster – known as NHS Lancashire – is comprised of NHS Blackburn with Darwen Care Trust Plus, NHS Blackpool, NHS Central Lancashire, NHS East Lancashire and NHS North Lancashire.
The individual PCT boards will retain their full range of statutory responsibilities. The cluster board is effectively a sub-committee of the constituent PCTs, and has been given delegated powers and decision making responsibilities from the PCTs. Its role is to manage the transition to the new NHS system and ensure business continuity. Much of the day-to-day work of the five PCTs will continue within each of their localities, just as it does now but resources and skills will be shared in order to sustain services.
The cluster board comprises a chief executive and chair, seven executive directors and nine non-executive directors. The cluster chair, Peter Kenyon, is the chair of NHS Central Lancashire, and the non-executive directors include chairs from each of the other four Lancashire PCTs. Membership is as follows:
- Chair – Peter Kenyon
- Chief executive – Janet Soo-Chung
Executive directors
- Mike Maguire
- David Wharfe
- Gary Hardman
- Jim Gardner
- Sally Parnaby
- Frank Atherton
Non-executive directors
-
Sir Bill Taylor (chair of Darwen Care Trust Plus)
-
Roy Fisher (chair of NHS Blackpool)
-
Bob Huntbach (chair of NHS East Lancashire)
-
Bill Gormley (chair of NHS North Lancashire)
-
Five further non-executive directors, one from each PCT – to be confirmed
Further information
NHS North West’s announcement about the formation of the clusterInformation about the Government’s reforms of the NHS
