Ruth Carnall to lead Devon success regime

The region was one of the first three health economies to be placed in the national programme, which is designed to turn around areas with serious care quality, performance and financial challenges. The local clinical commissioning group, Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG, is predicting the largest cumulative deficit of any group in the country.

Dame Ruth, the former chief executive of NHS London, will chair the CCG’s success regime programme board. Her company, Carnall Farrar, will also provide consultancy support to the scheme in partnership with QI, following a competitive tender.

The appointment was made by NEW Devon on behalf of NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority.

An NHS England spokeswoman said that as well as chairing the programme board, Dame Ruth’s responsibilities would include “top level liaison with stakeholders including MPs and other elected representatives”.

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Judith Dean, a former nurse who recently worked as interim director of implementation for Wiltshire CCG, has been appointed programme director for the Devon success regime.

According to NEW Devon CCG’s board papers, Carnall Farrar will deliver the “diagnostic phase” of the scheme. The company has experience working with financially stressed health economies – it was appointed by Monitor last year to help with strategic planning in Eastern Cheshire as part of the “financially challenged” health economies programme.

It also has specific experience of the Devon health economy, having recently been commissioned by NEW Devon to carry out a “capability and capacity review” into the group’s leadership.

The other areas in the success regime are North Cumbria and Essex.

Sir Neil McKay was appointed to chair the North Cumbria regime last month, but appointments have not yet been announced for Essex.