Major progress is being made to create a new NHS Trust to deliver more joined-up and consistent community, mental health and learning disability care across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, from April 2024.
Community, mental health and learning disability services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are currently provided by 4 different NHS organisations. An independent review in 2022 found that by bringing services together under a single NHS Trust, people could have fairer access, a better experience and improved outcomes. A single, larger Trust will help ensure the sustainability of local services and create more career opportunities for the NHS workforce.
The new organisation will encompass all the services of Solent NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, the community, mental health and learning disability services of Isle of Wight NHS Trust, and the community child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in Hampshire, which are currently provided by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
This week, following a comprehensive assessment process, Ron Shields was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer for the new organisation. Ron has considerable leadership experience spanning over 23 years in successful NHS Chief Executive Officer roles in community, mental health and acute hospital organisations.
Ron, currently Chief Executive of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, will take up the role when the new Trust is formed next year.
He’s said:
“I am really excited with this opportunity to lead a new integrated healthcare organisation for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The strengths of the services in all four organisations is a fabulous foundation from which to build, in partnership, the very best approaches to health and care in all of the communities we serve.”
Ron will join Lynne Hunt, who was recently appointed as Chair for the new Trust, and Non-Executive Directors drawn from the current NHS organisations involved, on the Board of the new organisation.
Melloney Poole, Chair at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said:
“I congratulate Ron on his appointment and look forward to seeing what he and our many partners are able to achieve together for the benefit of the communities we serve across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“I would also like to thank my colleagues on the island, and across the Solent, for their energy and enthusiasm in delivering this work as it ensures that services continue to improve and are made sustainable.”
The appointment was made with valuable contribution from local partners and the process was chaired by Maggie MacIsaac, Chief Executive Officer of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board.
Maggie MacIsaac, Chief Executive Officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board said:
“The appointment of a Chief Executive Officer is an important milestone in our system’s journey to create a new, single community and mental health provider for Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Ron Shields’ vast experience in leading transformational change will help us to tackle the current fragmentation of services and to improve the health of our communities. We are all looking forward to continuing to work with Ron as we progress with the formation of the new trust.
“Together, across our health and care system, we will continue to join up and transform the services our communities use. By doing so we can tackle inequalities, reduce unwarranted and confusing variation, and enable local people to live healthier, longer lives.”
In the coming weeks, appointments will be made to the remaining positions on the new Trust’s Board. Detailed plans are also being drawn up, setting out the steps needed to bring the organisations together ready for April 2024 and beyond. These plans will go before the Boards of the 4 current NHS Trusts and NHS England, in the Autumn.
Sadly mental health claims have become the new ‘old’ backache social security swindle for people now, as VERY hard to prove if someone is ‘genuine’ or faking anxiety etc to avoid work and claim thousands out of the system.
I think all claiming people need to be put into an asylum for a month to ‘see’ if they are genuine or not, as the cost of testing such and weeding out the fake cases will more than cover the cost and fuss of the test.
As mental health has rightly ‘lost’ it’s ‘shame’ then spongers now use it as a hard to prove claim lever, as staff are ‘afraid’ to question these disgusting users of public money.
Sad to say I think you’re right. Really sucks for the genuine cases, doesn’t it?
les you are correct in your assumption. Many people, especially those in close knit social housing estate since covid are now using the mental health scam to gain extra in benefits, drugs to sell on, and even mobility cars now by claiming to have anxiety/ depression and other mental health issues, which can be read up upon or symptoms learned from genuine cases to gain an easy and very lucrative life from getting extra benefits, no rent or c.tax and now work.
They need to be paid the minimum, less that others as if you are genuine and don’t go out much, you need less money, so genuine cases would not worry, free shrink and prescription is all they need to sort the genuine cases out. Watch the numbers drop then.
Not sure this is a good appointment as Southern NHS trust got required improvement in its inspection by the CQC. If this is the case wouldn’t it be better to appointment someone else. Very worrying when you think mental health services need to be improved not run down !
Dare I say : Well, it can’t get any worse, can it?
Camhs are shite… Chantry Hse is abysmal…
Another layer of management … typical and still nothing will change ..the system is flawed
More money wasted on so called management, no doubt his first move will be to cut services on the island and force people to travel to the mainland. Lots of hot air being spouted methinks.