Stethoscope has learnt about the recent changes of personnel at the PCT Offices and apparently the Director post for Partnership and Planning in the new re-organisation remains unfilled after a first round of interviews.

Apparently the present incumbent, Nicholas Gillard, will continue to take this role on a temporary basis until a permanent appointment is made.

Stethoscope is very concerned that Mr Gillard has either not been offered this post, or has decided not to complete the work which he has been leading in North and West Wiltshire and Kennet around the reorganisation of our Community Hospitals.

He is one of the few remaining PCT Directors from the previous regime and was responsible for orchestrating the planning and consultation around Pathways for Change, which has resulted in the most significant service change and local hospital service closure proposals that we have ever seen.

He personally presented these recommendations and the results of the Consultation exercise to the Professional Executive Committee and Board of the new organisation in January and urged them to approve these proposals despite strong local resistance from local clinicians, politicians and public, many of whom who had been involved in many of the planning processes and felt that they had been mislead. This protest was swept aside and the decision swiftly taken.

His plans are beginning to be implemented.
The change of leadership at this crucial stage seems very significant. What is less clear is whether the PCT is seeking to break from its past and is looking for new ideas and a breath of fresh air, or whether it is currently tacking into a strong headwind and making inadequate progress.