The Arden Cluster
The NHS is currently facing huge change with the responsibility for Commissioning services beginning to make the transition across to clinicians.
With clinicians in the driving seat, we will be working on initiatives over the next two years to improve the quality of services whilst meeting necessary financial savings.
These changes mean that there are also changes in the way that we work and from April 2011 NHS Coventry and NHS Warwickshire formed the Arden Cluster.
The Arden Cluster is a management arrangement which brings together the expertise of both organisations to Commission health services in Coventry and Warwickshire.
The cluster is being run under the leadership of Stephen Jones, Cluster Chief Executive who has drawn together a single executive team from existing staff in Primary Care Trusts who are faced with the challenge of steering the health economy across Coventry and Warwickshire through the period of transition in partnership with local GPs.
A new Chair and new Non-Executive Directors have been announced for the Arden Cluster Board (also known as NHS Coventry and NHS Warwickshire), bringing together expertise from across Coventry & Warwickshire. The new Board will act on behalf of the Boards of NHS Coventry & NHS Warwickshire as the organisations now work together under one management structure.
We have a strong base of partnership working, which will become even more important as local authorities begin to take on much of the public health agenda. It is important that we continue work closely with our local authority colleagues and the voluntary sector to ensure health prevention continues to bring real benefits to local people during this time of change.
Throughout this period of change, listening to messages from to patients and the local population is essential. With so much change underway, it is really important that local people have their say on the future of their NHS, as well as giving us ongoing feedback on their experience of health services.
Our workforce across the NHS will continue to make every effort to provide the highest standard of healthcare for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as implementing the change proposals. These are challenging times for all of us, and we are dedicated to ensuring that services are of the best quality and sustainable for the future.
Name - Arden Cluster
Coverage - Coventry and Warwickshire
Geographical area - 2074 km2
Population - 909, 762
Budget for 2011-12 - £1.4 billion
Staff - Approx 600
Healthcare providers - 3 acute hospitals, 1 mental health trust, 139 GP practices, 109 dental practices, 105 optometry contractors and community services spanning the whole area. Plus contracts with the private sector.
Arden Cluster Executive Team
Stephen Jones - Chief Executive
Gill Entwistle - Director of Finance
Alison Walshe - Director of Commisioning Development
Karen Railton - Director of Performance and Governance
Sue Roberts - Transformation Programme Director
John Forde - Acting Director of Public Health - Coventry
John Linnane - Director of Public Health - Warwickshire
Rachel Pearce - Director of Delivery Systems
Francis Campbell - Medical Director- Primary Care
Martin Lee- Medical Director - Acute
Fay Baillie- Director of Nursing
- acute
A disease of rapid onset, severe symptoms and brief duration. The majority of services provided by hospitals are for acute illnesses. - Commissioning
Process by which the health needs of the local population are identified. Priorities for investment are set and appropriate services are purchased and evaluated. Primary Care Trusts do not provide all of the healthcare services needed by the local population, they buy-in or commission services from other provider organisations. Typically this includes local hospitals. - GP
GP stands for General Practitioner. GPs are family doctors.