News / SHA cluster directors appointed

The four new strategic health authority clusters launched at the beginning of October have appointed finance directors.

Bob Alexander becomes finance director of NHS South, which includes NHS South Central, NHS South East Coast and NHS South West. He was NHS finance director at the Department of Health and will continue in some national role. Before joining the Department in 2007, he was director of finance and investment at South East Coast Strategic Health Authority.

Mark Ogden has been appointed director at NHS North, which is made up of NHS North West, NHS Yorkshire and the Humber and NHS North East. He was previously NHS North West interim chief executive and prior to this director of finance, capital and economic reform at the North West SHA.

Steve Clarke has been named finance director for NHS Midlands and East. He has held various senior finance roles in the NHS and has helped to lead the financial turnaround in the East of England, where he was director of finance, during the last five years.

NHS London has not merged with neighbouring SHAs, so Paul Baumann remains director of finance and investment.

The clusters will manage the transition to the revised NHS in April 2013 and provide an ‘initial footprint’ for the Commissioning Board’s regional arms.