Ahead of the creation of a new NHS trust, intended to “deliver more joined up and consistent community, mental health and learning disability care” in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Ron Shields has been appointed as chief executive officer for the new organisation.
Solent NHS Trust has commented that Shields has “considerable” leadership experience having spent over 23 years in CEO roles across community, mental health and acute hospital organisations. They add that he has an “excellent track record in leading sustainable transformation and integration of services to improve patient outcomes”.
Shields, who is currently chief executive of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, has said: “I am really excited with this opportunity to lead a new integrated healthcare organisation for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The strengths of the services in all four organisations is a fabulous foundation from which to build, in partnership, the very best approaches to health and care in all of the communities we serve.”
The new trust is set to encompass all of the services of Solent NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, along with the community, mental health and learning disability services of Isle of Wight NHS Trust and the community child and adolescent mental health services in Hampshire. Shields will take up the role upon the formation of the new trust next year.
Other news from the area includes Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB’s development of a health hub which aims to bring community health services together into a single site, and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s introduction of the RECONNECT service, which aims to provide continuity of care for prison leavers.
