Hereford Hospitals Trust forms first integrated health and social services provider

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STRUCTURE: Hereford Hospitals Trust has received the go-ahead from health secretary Andrew Lansley to become the first organisation in England to provide integrated health and social services previously provided separately by the local authority, acute trust and primary care trust.

Wye Valley NHS Trust will be created on 1 April, joining up hospital services from Hereford Hospitals Trust, community health services
previously provided by NHS Herefordshire, and adult social care from Herefordshire Council.

Subject to chief executive sign-off of the transfer agreement and board approval of the section 75 agreement for social care, the new trust will be able to “go live” as planned with the TUPE transfer (PCT provider services) or secondment (adult social care) of relevant staff.

Board papers state that all staff have received a letter from the chief executive welcoming them to the new organisation and advising them of the initial management arrangements.

They explain that the acute trust business unit directors, together with the deputy director of provider services and the head of adult social care, will report directly to Tim Tomlinson as interim director of nursing and operations, in order to provide initial management continuity.

These direct reports to Mr Tomlinson, along with the executive directors/direct reports to the chief executive and chair of staff side Elaine Lloyd will constitute the interim executive management team of the new trust, with the first meeting scheduled for 5 April.

However, by autumn 2011, after due debate and consultation, it is proposed to create a cross-cutting operational management structure with maximum emphasis on clinical and practitioner leadership.