Fresh appointment for local NHS chief

NATIONAL role . . . Gail Richards is leaving NHS Oldham

THE head of NHS Oldham is stepping down to join a national team that will develop how GPs take control of health spending.

Chief executive Gail Richards starts an assignment as part of a national scheme called NHS Interim Management and Support on December 6.

It will involve joining the national Commissioning Development Transition team — under national managing director of commissioning development Barbara Hakin — to help lead on the work to develop GP Commissioning Consortia.

Mrs Richards is credited with transforming health services in Oldham through her leadership of the primary care trust since it was set up in April, 2002.

It won the prestigious national primary care organisation of the year award in 2006 when judges said: “An excellent all-round performer and an organisation not afraid to break new ground. The quality of management, from the top down simply outshone the rest.”

NHS Oldham chairman Riaz Ahmad said: “The people of Oldham owe a profound debt of gratitude to Gail for her tireless work for health. People are in better health today because of her.

“She has brought strong leadership and vision to our organisation, and has won the respect of her peers across the region and indeed nationally.

“I know she will do a tremendous job helping develop GP consortia nationally and we all wish her well.”

Mrs Richards said: “I want to express my gratitude to all the people, including NHS staff, who have cared so much about health in Oldham over the years and supported us in our endeavours. There have been some great successes, and, inevitably, many real challenges.

“Through them all we have tried to uphold the founding principles of the NHS to always put patients first and to deliver the best services at the right place and the right time. This appointment is a reflection of all the hard work which people here have put in and I am confident that I leave the organisation in excellent hands and with strong leadership.”

Current executive director of clinical leadership, Shauna Dixon, will take the role of interim chief executive during the transition of the work of the primary care trust to future organisations, including GP commissioning consortia.

She said: “Gail has been an exceptional leader to all of us in her time here. She has worked incredibly hard to make sure the people of Oldham have benefited from huge investment in health and health services.

“We will make sure this vision continues as we work to develop the NHS in Oldham in the coming years.”

Mrs Richards has successfully tackled various challenges, including developing, expanding and offering new and innovative services in the community.

“This has seen new teams set up, new ways of working, new services on offer in new places and at different times — such as patients being able to see GPs outside traditional hours. She has built strong partnerships with local GPs and local authority colleagues.

Mrs Richards has more than 20 years’ NHS experience and was previously chief executive of Huddersfield Central Primary Care Group.

She was vice-chairman of the Oldham Local Strategic Partnership and sat on the executive committee of the Oldham and Rochdale housing market renewal programme.