Kettering chief executive lands new role running Northamptonshire's two acute hospitals

Plans to combine management and some clinical services move a step nearer
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Kettering General Hospital's chief executive has landed the £220,000-a-year role running the new combined management team for Northamptonshire's two major hospitals.

Simon Weldon, will become group chief executive in charge of both Northampton and Kettering hospital trusts later this year, once the current Covid-19 crisis has eased.

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Mr Weldon was appointed in April 2018 and led Kettering General out of special measures following a damning report demanded major improvements in April 2017.

Simon Weldon will run both Northants' acute hospitals under the new modelSimon Weldon will run both Northants' acute hospitals under the new model
Simon Weldon will run both Northants' acute hospitals under the new model

Plans to merge some clinical and administrative areas were announced in January and the group chief executive post — looking after 1,440 beds, a revenue budget of over £500million and approximately 9,000 staff — was advertised earlier this year with a salary of up to £220,000.

Northampton and Kettering will retain its own A&E, maternity and paediatric services but there are plans to integrate some services, initially including cardiac and breast cancer departments. Advanced plans for the Kettering Hospital Urgent Care Hub will also be unaffected.

Each hospital will keep key senior managers including medical and nursing directors but In time there are plans for group directors to take charge of finance, strategy and HR and a group board will be set up to will appoint joint clinicians.

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The two trusts already have a joint chairman, Alan Burns, who has been in post for a year.

Mr Burns said: “Working together has never been more important and that has been highlighted to us all by the current coronavirus crisis.

“It is also the thinking behind the Group Management Model which will develop arrangements for equitable and comprehensive care for the people we serve – making the best use of the talents of our fantastic teams at both hospital sites.”

Dr Sonia Swart has been Northampton General Hospital chief executive since July 2103.

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