Christine Outram appointed as Senior Responsible Officer for
Health Education England
The Future Forum reported overwhelming support
for Health Education England (HEE) and advised expediting its set
up. The Government agreed in the response to the Future Forum
report and in his letter of 17th July, Sir David Nicholson, NHS
Chief Executive, announced the decision to appoint a Senior
Responsible Officer (SRO) for HEE to accelerate the process for
setting up HEE. Christine Outram has been appointed HEE SRO
with immediate effect, combining the duties of this appointment
with her role as Managing Director of Medical Education England.
Christine is an accomplished NHS Chief Executive who has deep
experience in leading high profile, national programmes and in
setting up new health service organisations.
Christine will build a transition team to take
forward the design and development of HEE, as a Special Health
Authority in the first instance, so that it is ready to take on a
shadow role by 1 October 2012, six months before the SHAs will
cease to exist. She will be supported in her task by a
steering group led by Kate Lampard, formerly Chair of South East
England Strategic Health Authority.
In 2012/13 SHAs will continue to be
accountable for education and training budgets, the deaneries and
medical recruitment, whilst they are developing local provider-led
arrangements. We expect to begin the HEE Chair and CEO appointments
process in the new year and the process to obtain parliamentary
approval to establish HEE as a Special Health Authority shortly
afterwards. Initially HEE will focus on developing its operating
model and the authorisation process for provider-led arrangements,
so that by April 2013 HEE can take on its full operational role and
accountability for leadership of the education and training
system.
These arrangements provide a steady and phased
transition to support the development of local provider-led
arrangements, with HEE taking the lead in setting the authorisation
criteria which will support the development of local networks to
take on their responsibilities. The timetable for setting up the
local provider-led arrangements will allow for a robust 'baton
handing' process to ensure the effective migration of skills and
functions from the SHAs.
The Department of Health will soon be
publishing further details on the new arrangements for workforce
planning, education and training.