As you will know, the government recently published the Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all white paper. This outlined legislative proposals to bring the NHS and social care closer together: Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all.
The paper includes proposals to make integrated care a reality everywhere and reduce bureaucracy, with a focus on improving care and tackling health inequalities.
At a local level, as we work towards integrating health and care, I am delighted to announce that Jo Farrar is joining Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust (HRCH) as Interim Chief Executive from 1 April 2021. This has the support of NHS England/Improvement.
In addition to his role at HRCH, Jo will continue as Chief Executive at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with the two organisations remaining separate.
He will be ably supported at HRCH with a strong leadership team, including David Hawkins as Interim Deputy Chief Executive, who is also Finance Director, and the rest of his executive team there.
Jo will continue to be supported at Kingston Hospital by his deputy Mairead McCormick, who is also the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer, and the rest of his executive team there.
Across Hounslow, Kingston, Richmond and neighbouring boroughs we are committed to closer working between NHS partners at borough level. We aim to be one team working together with local authority and voluntary sector partners to strengthen services and improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
Local people have told us they would like to see more joined-up care and a focus on prevention and inequality, as well as closer working between health and social care.
I believe this move will help us achieve this and respond to what local people have asked of us.
Sian Bates, Chair in Common of Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust, and Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
