Boss of Treliske leaving to head up Cornwall's new Integrated Care System
The current Chief Executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust, Kate Shields, will change jobs in August
NHS Kernow has confirmed the woman in charge of Cornwall's biggest hospital is leaving.
Kate Shields has been Chief Executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' Trust since 2018.
She began her career in the NHS as a registered nurse and mental health nurse and has also worked in commissioning for NHS England.
In August, Kate will switch roles to become NHS Kernow's new Chief Executive and Accountable Officer and the Chief Executive of the Duchy's emerging Integrated Care System.
NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group's chairman Dr Paul Cook said: "We are very pleased to confirm that Kate Shields has been appointed.
"She will lead NHS Kernow as it transitions into the evolving ICS".
Dr Paul Cook
What is Cornwall's Integrated Care System?
Integrated care systems (ICSs) are partnerships bringing NHS organisations together with local authorities and other partners to plan and deliver joined up care which better meets the needs of their population.
Since the emergence of Covid-19, health and care organisations have been working even more closely together. For example, health and care teams have moved into shared offices to form community coordination centres, working ever more closely with GPs and other local primary care colleagues. These centres have created a simple referral process to ensure people’s needs are met quickly by the right health or care professional, making the best possible use of our shared workforce.
It was announced that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were going to become an ICS back in December, with a target date of April 2021.
Speaking at the time, officials said the system would help to tackle the "significant challenges" faced by the Duchy's health and care system.
"When we set out on our journey to become an Integrated Care System, there were significant challenges across our health and care system. We have tackled these issues together. Of course, we still have challenges, but we have a plan to address these in partnership.
"The way in which we have worked during the pandemic is testament to our determination to use our resources flexibly across health and care to do the right thing.
"There are numerous examples of where together we have delivered real improvements and made investments which will benefit people now and in future.
"Much closer working with GPs has enabled us to deliver service change which is tailored to the needs of local communities".
Phil Confue, Chief Executive of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and ICS System Lead