• Leader of neighbouring ACS to take up chief executive role at Oxfordshire CCG on interim basis
  • Recruitment of permanent leader deferred to 2018
  • Judicial review of CCG reconfiguration plans underway

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group has hired an interim chief executive and will not seek a permanent replacement for the outgoing accountable officer until next year.

Louise Patten will take up the role from 1 January. She will also continue as the leader of the emerging Buckinghamshire accountable care system and chief officer of Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern CCGs, which plan to merge in April.

The CCG’s November governing body papers said it had “run a process to recruit to the role but has been unable to appoint a substantive chief executive”.

The incumbent, David Smith, is retiring from full time employment this month and stepped down as the leader of the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West sustainability and transformation partnership. CCG chair Joe McManners’s tenure came to an end last month and he is not seeking another term.

A CCG statement said: “During the recent recruitment process it became apparent to Oxfordshire CCG that the management expertise required at this point in time lies in a system leadership approach. For these reasons, the CCG has asked Louise Patten to act as its CEO and accountable officer for an interim period. The recruitment process for a permanent leader of the CCG will be deferred until next year…

“Louise will remain as AO in Buckinghamshire with the support of colleagues, but a key focus during the year will be to help develop the Oxfordshire system working.”

Ms Patten joins during a difficult time for the CCG. Its transformation plans are mired in political controversy. A judicial review into how the public consultation was conducted is being held this week. In addition, two other legal challenges have been referred to the health secretary.

One of the CCG’s lead providers, Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust is also struggling with significant quality and finance issue.

Ms Patten has been chief officer of Aylesbury Vale and Chiltern CCGs since June 2016, and has led Aylesbury Vale since 2013. She also led the federation of the two Buckinghamshire CCGs and the successful bid for Buckinghamshire to become one of the first eight ACSs.

Oxfordshire CCG has appointed Dr Kiren Collison as its new chair and she started at the beginning of December. Fiona Wise was announced as the new lead of the BOB STP last week.

Source

Information provided to HSJ; governing body papers

Source date

December 2017

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