England’s CNO given leadership role in new DHSC and NHSE executive team

The chief nursing officer (CNO) for England has been named among those who will comprise a new ‘single joint executive team’ for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE).

The move comes as part of the transition of the DHSC and NHSE to one organisation.

Duncan Burton has been confirmed as CNO within the executive team and will be among those providing leadership across both organisations and managing ‘directors from related work areas’.

Neither England’s chief midwifery officer Kate Brintworth or England’s chief adult social care nurse Professor Deborah Sturdy are listed within the executive team. 

Related Article: CNO encourages nursing workforce to inform new strategy

When asked for clarification on this, the DHSC told Nursing in Practice that the announcement ‘concerns the top level structure only’ and that the chief midwifery officer reports to the CNO and the chief nurse for adult social care would report into the interim director general for adult social care.

While continuing as CNO on the new executive team, Mr Burton has also been charged with leading one of the government’s ‘National Priority Programmes’.

Mr Burton has been named as the interim programme director for maternity, women’s health, children and young people.

The government announced its decision to scrap NHSE in March, with the aim of reducing duplication and reinvesting money into frontline services.

The joint executive team, which will become officially active on November 3, is aimed at reducing bureaucracy and aligning leadership across healthcare policy and delivery, the government said.

Others listed on the team include: Samantha Jones, DHSC permanent secretary, Sir Jim Mackey, NHSE chief executive, Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer and Tom Riordan, chief operating officer/second permanent secretary, among others.

Related Article: Student nurses share financial hardship and placement concerns with deputy CNO

Dr Claire Fuller and Professor Meghana Pandit have also been listed as interim medical directors, with recruitment to the permanent role to take place during the autumn.

The government has also set out a list of National Priority Programmes and those leading them – ‘to drive delivery of the government’s key health priorities, drawing together teams and expertise from across the organisations and the country’.

Among those, Dr Claire Fuller, GP and primary care medical director at NHSE, has been made interim national priority programme director for neighbourhood health.

And Dr Amanda Doyle will continue as NHSE’s national director of primary care and community services and will remain reporting to NHSE’s chief executive, Sir Jim.

Related Article: Data shows 6% rise in student nurses aged under 25 in England

Last month, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warned that the threat of nurse redundancies and ongoing uncertainty around incoming cuts to integrated care boards (ICBs), as part of reforms to the NHS, was placing significant strain on the workforce and ‘undermining the delivery of vital nursing functions’.