New chief exec takes over at Hertfordshire PCT

Dr Jane Halpin takes over from Anne Walker, who left the primary care trust earlier this month to become chief executive of NHS Surrey.

Dr Halpin has been deputy chief executive and director of public health at the PCT and its predecessors since 2006.

NHS Hertfordshire was created on 1 April from the merger of NHS East and North Hertfordshire, and NHS West Hertfordshire. The two PCTs already shared a single integrated management team with one chief executive and one set of directors, following their creation in October 2006 during a previous merger process.

Dr Halpin acknowledged she was taking on the role in the “midst of a very challenging time”, with the transfer of commissioning powers from the PCT to GPs.

She said: “We are already working closely with leading GPs in Hertfordshire to help them set up their new commissioning organisations.This year, the primary care trust has close to £1.7bn to spend on health care for the people of Hertfordshire.

“This year, and in years to come, the NHS will have to make sure that it is working as efficiently as it can, so our priority has to be making sure patients are treated in the right place – for many people this will be outside of major hospitals.”