The replacement for the existing NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in the county has recruited five new non-executive directors.

The NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) will take over from the CCG in July.

Its role will be to 'join up' health and care services to improve health, provide better value for money and reduce inequalities in the health system.

They have been introduced through the Health and Care Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament.

Now Cedi Frederick, the chair-designate of the ICB, and former chair at the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, has appointed five key figures to its board.

He explained: “We had tremendous interest in the non-executive roles and a very strong field of applicants to consider.

“Each of our new non-executives brings important individual skills and experience to the table. Collectively, their backgrounds cover voluntary organisations, housing, regeneration, clinical services, and leaders of NHS trusts and national health organisations. This is exactly the kind of diversity of perspective that we need to take partnership working to the next level for the benefit of people across Kent and Medway.”

The five appointments are: Liz Butler who has held a string of positions, including chair of the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, Bromley Care Trust and Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust as well as a board member of the Hyde Housing Association. She will take on the role of audit committee chair of the ICB; chartered architect and a previous NHS non-executive on two trust boards, Valerie Le Vaillant, who lives in Deal; consultant physician Dr Hugh McIntyre, the current chain of a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards committee; while Angela McNab will chair the ICB's remuneration and people committee. She has extensive experience at chief executive level including a stint as boss of the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

And finally, Gurvinder Sandher, chief executive of Kent Equality Cohesion Council. He has worked in the in the voluntary sector in Kent since 1999 and worked extensively with Kent Police for over 20 years including roles as chair of the County Independent Police Advisory Group and an independent member for the Police and Crime Panel.

Cedi Frederick added: "The challenges we face across health and care in the years ahead are hugely complex. Recovery from the pandemic is one part of the puzzle, but there are many other long-standing issues that we need to take on. We have good examples of success and excellence in Kent and Medway, but also much more to achieve.

“The ICB is just one part of a system with different partners working at different levels to improve health and care for a diverse population. It’s not unlike a game of three-dimensional chess and will need a collective ambition and depth of expertise to succeed.

“We’re continuing to build the board with the recruitment of our local authority and health partner representatives and executive director roles. We’re putting in place a strong team and watch this space for ways people across Kent and Medway can get involved in our work.”