Delay to Oxford Radcliffe merger with Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital

The merger was first proposed in February, with an original target date of 1 July.

Announcing a pause in the merger process this month, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre chief executive Jan Fowler said “this was always a tight timescale” as both trusts would have had to finish reviews and present them to the Collaboration and Competition Panel by 10 June.

She said: “Both trusts have agreed with the CCP to pause the process whilst additional information is provided. It is now likely that the merger will take place in the early autumn.”

Consultations to develop integrated corporate services are ongoing and are expected to be completed before the merger is finalised.

Appointments to the trusts’ combined directorate have also been named.

They are: Professor Andy Carr as divisional director designate; Karen Barker as clinical director designate for the orthopaedic directorate; Sarah Kidd May as divisional nurse designate; and Dr David Henderson Slater as clinical director designate for the rehabilitation, rheumatology and radiology directorate.

The trust’s general manager is yet to be announced.