Local chief takes on national Test and Trace role

Carolyn Wilkins, who leads both the CCG and local authority in Oldham, is taking over as lead of the “contain” element of test and trace. This involves working with local authorities and Public Health England to slow the spread of coronavirus, such as through targeted local testing, tracing, and lockdown measures.

She succeeds Tom Riordan, who has been leading the work for three months on secondment, and is returning to his substantive role as Leeds City Council chief executive.

Meanwhile, Haroona Franklin has joined NHST&T as the leader of its national “tracing” work. She was previously director of “future borders” at HMRC. Previously this role was being filled on temporary secondment by NHS Business Services Authority chief Michael Brodie. 

Both will report to NHST&T executive chair Baroness Dido Harding.

HSJ has asked the Department of Health and Social Care, of which NHST&T is a part, how long the new recruits are expected to carry out the roles for, but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

Sir Chris Ham the former King’s Fund chief executive who has been campaigning for greater local government control of the track and trace process, said on Twitter the appointment would “further develop local leadership of contact tracing and align national contact tracers with [PHE and directors of public health] to contain local outbreaks.”

An NHST&T source said: “Both Tom and Michael have done fantastic jobs.”

Several other top NHST&T posts are due to become vacant next month as they were filled in the spring on a short-term basis as the work was setup. Further appointments are expected soon.

It comes as the management consultants McKinsey & Co are carrying out a review of the “future form” of NHST&T, as revealed by HSJ earlier this month and since confirmed by health minister Lord Jim Bethell in Parliament.