Michelle Arrowsmith appointed as Chief Strategy and Delivery Officer

Michelle Arrowsmith has been appointed as the new Chief Strategy and Delivery Officer, and Deputy Chief Executive, for NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board. She will take up post on 2 October.

Michelle brings a wealth of experience from her clinical background and senior strategic and operational management roles with the NHS in England and with healthcare organisations in New Zealand and Australia.

As a qualified dietitian, Michelle is passionate about the roles of allied health professionals and wider clinical teams to support and enable good health and wellbeing.

She says: “As a clinician by background I understand what it’s like to work on the front line and about the importance of hearing the patient and clinical voice in commissioning health services.

“I’m really looking forward to being back in the NHS in England and to joining the ICB. I have found a warmth, passion and camaraderie in everyone I have spoken to across the health system in Derby and Derbyshire.”

Michelle has spent the last six years in New Zealand and Australia, where she was most recently chief executive of a health charity. She has returned to England to be closer to her family.

Michelle was deputy director general of the New Zealand Ministry of Health for two years, where she had leadership of the clinical operational, financial performance and delivery oversight for 20 district health boards and NZ $15 billion system operating revenue.

While “down under” she also provided leadership to many healthcare infrastructure projects including consultancy to the New Zealand arm of multinational infrastructure company, and as the director of clinical operations for a regional health district in Australia.

Before leaving England for Australia in 2016 Michelle served as chief operating officer of South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, and as director of operations at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

Prior to senior leadership roles Michelle practised as a dietitian with NHS trusts in Yorkshire before managing dietetic services, therapy services and business performance at the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust from 2006 to 2013.

Chris Clayton, Chief Executive of NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, said: “We look forward to welcoming Michelle back to the NHS in England. She will play a vital role in taking forward our work to support people in our county to have a good start in life, to stay well and to age well.”