§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was first consulted about the formation of a joint board between the South-East London Commissioning Authority and the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham family health services authority; whether she has issued any guidelines to the two authorities; when she approved the formation of the joint board; when she approved the appointment of the joint chief executive; and what is the salary of the joint chief executive.
§ Dr. MawhinneyMembers of the South-East London Commissioning Authority (SELCA) and Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham family health service authority (FHSA) have created an interim joint policy board to consider what arrangements will work best for them in strengthening their joint working. They expect this to lead to the setting up of a joint policy board. The three district health authorities (DHAs) within SELCA and the FHSA have recently appointed a joint chief executive operating within the existing national guidelines and salary scales for health authority general manager appointments.
Although there are no statutory powers for FHSAs and DHAs to merge, they may enter into arrangements for joint working as joint commissioning agencies where this facilitates integration of primary and secondary care. Such arrangements are matters for the relevant region and its health authorities and FHSAs to decide.