CCG replaces chief officer seconded to ICS

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A clinical commissioning group has appointed a new chief officer after its current leader was seconded to the region’s integrated care system.

Jerry Hawker will be leaving his role as chief officer at Eastern Cheshire CCG after five years to take up the top job at Morecambe Bay CCG in September.

In a statement Morecambe Bay CCG said Mr Hawker will replace its current chief officer Andrew Bennett who has been seconded as executive lead for commissioning at the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICS.

Mr Hawker, who has worked for the NHS since 2005 following more than 15 years in the specialty chemical industry and running his own business consultancy company, will replace Mr Bennett for the12-month secondment period.

He said: “I am delighted and privileged to join the great team at Morecambe Bay CCG and I’m really looking forward to working with all our members and partners to drive further improvements for the local community that we serve.”

Cumbria CCG split in April last year, with the 32 south Cumbria GP practices covering South Lakes and Furness switching their membership to Lancashire North to form the new Morecambe Bay CCG.

Morecambe Bay was announced as a primary and acute care system vanguard in March 2015, and in 2016 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust revealed plans to establish an “accountable care system”.

More than 500 community staff were transferred from Cumbria Partnership FT to UHMB in April was part of the ICS plans with Blackpool Teaching Hospitals FT’s community staff in north Lancashire due to transfer over in the autumn as well.