New Chair of NHS Derby and Derbyshire begins role

Dr Kathy McLean OBE has started in her new role as Chair of NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board today (Wednesday 1 May), taking over from Richard Wright MBE who has been Acting Chair since July 2023.

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for meeting local health needs, managing the local NHS budget, ensuring services are in place to deliver against ambitions and overseeing the delivery of improved outcomes for the population.

Dr McLean has stood down from her chair role of over four years at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) to take up her new post. Dr McLean will perform the role alongside her existing role as chair of NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board and Integrated Care Partnership. The two roles complement each other and are aligned to the development of the Combined Authority across Derby & Derbyshire and Nottingham & Nottinghamshire. Dr McLean is also chair of NHS Confederation’s Integrated Care System (ICS) Network.

On her first day at NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB, Dr McLean said: “I am excited to get to work as I start in my new role. I hope to use my clinical experience and work in national and local leadership roles to support the system in improving health outcomes, tackling health inequalities, and making sure our local NHS is as productive as possible for the people of Derby and Derbyshire.

“I live in Derby and as a former hospital consultant at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, I am committed to and passionate about the care provided to the Derbyshire community. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues, partners, residents and patients across the system to support and improve the health and wellbeing of local people.

“True integration and joined-up working can bring huge benefits across health and care and I hope that there will be additional synergy and opportunity to be gained from chairing two local but separate systems that border one another, especially in the context of a newly forming devolved combined authority.”

Dr Chris Clayton, Chief Executive of NHS Derby & Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, said: “I am delighted that Kathy is now in post and very much look forward to working with her. Her vast experience will be a real asset to the Derby and Derbyshire health and care system. On behalf of the ICB board, I would also like to thank Richard Wright MBE for his stewardship of the board and significant contribution to its work over the last year.”

Richard Wright MBE, Outgoing Acting Chair of NHS Derby & Derbyshire Integrated Care Board, said: “It has been a privilege to chair the ICB Board over the last year. Kathy’s local and national experience and commitment to partnership working will bring huge benefits and I look forward to supporting Kathy in my capacity as a Non-Executive Member of the ICB Board and as chair for the ICB’s Population Health & Strategic Commissioning Committee and Public Partnership Committee.”