A management accountant has been appointed to run the NHS in Sussex as part of the government’s health service reforms.
Denise Harker is the new chairman of the NHS Sussex board, overseeing the “cluster” of the four primary care trusts (PCTs) in Sussex.
Her appointment follows a board meeting of Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT – also known as NHS Brighton and Hove.
The other three trusts are West Sussex PCT, East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT and Hastings and Rother PCT.
Amanda Fadero, the chief executive of NHS Brighton and Hove, said: “I’m delighted to have Denise alongside me to take the NHS in Sussex forward through the reforms.
“I am confident that we have an excellent team to lead us to a vibrant GP commissioning consortia landscape and establish even greater partnership working with our local authority and voluntary sector colleagues.”
Denise Harker said: “This is a challenging time for the NHS in Sussex and I will endeavour to bring rigour and passion to making the future NHS the best possible for patients, our staff and the public.”
She has been appointed as chairman until April 2013 and will be paid £42,033 a year.
She has previously worked for Reed International and the television company TVS, NHS Medway and the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
The Sussex PCT cluster is not a statutory organisation but will support the new and developing GP consortiums across the county.
It will “help to foster relationships with local authorities as they move towards taking on new roles and responsibilities as set out in the Health and Social Care Bill”.
