News / NHS Wales structure takes shape

Weeks before a major reorganisation, a new finance director has been appointed for NHS Wales and directors of finance put in place at all but two of the new local health boards.

Chris Hurst, deputy chief executive and director of finance and procurement at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, has been named director of finance for NHS Wales and is to take up the post in October. The new structure, from 1 October, will merge seven NHS trusts and 21 of the 22 existing LHBs into six new local health boards. A seventh LHB, Powys, remains unchanged.

Eifion Williams, previously finance director of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust, who has recently been NHS Wales acting director of finance, returns full time to south-west Wales as director of finance and procurement at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board.

Paul Davies, former Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust finance director, has been appointed director of finance and procurement at Cardiff and Vale University LHB, while David Lewis has the same job at Cwm Taf LHB, having been Cwm Taf NHS Trust’s finance director. Alan Brace, interim finance director at Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, is director of finance and procurement at Aneurin Bevan LHB.

As Healthcare Finance went to press, appointments had not been made at Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB or Hywel Dda LHB.

The new structure coincides with the launch of More than a number, NHS Wales’ first finance staff development strategy. The strategy, endorsed by HFMA Wales and the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare, is centred around the knowledge and skills framework, leadership quality framework and the personal development of finance staff.