THE new acting chief executive of a Wyre Forest health trust will share his job with another trust covering Redditch and Bromsgrove, it has been confirmed.

As reported in the Shuttle/Times and News on December 2, Eamonn Kelly was poised to share his post between Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust and Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT.

Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT last week agreed the move - which has been ruled out as a step towards a merger.

David Priestnall, chairman of Wyre Forest PCT, said: "There is the potential for both organisations to benefit from exploring pragmatic approaches to joint working and recognising the economies of scale from partnership arrangements."

Mr Kelly is the second acting chief executive of the trust since the last permanent chief executive, Peter Forrester, left in September.

The news came at a time of upheaval for the senior management of the PCT. The director of finance at Redditch and Bromsgrove, Gillian Entwistle, is filling in for the same post in Wyre Forest while Ray Duffell, director of public health, is leaving at the end of the month.

A Wyre Forest PCT spokesman said: "Mr Kelly's appointment will provide the necessary continuity and sustainability for the PCT at a senior management level during this period.

"This joint working arrangement will not affect the independent governance of each organisation and, therefore, this move does not signal a trust merger."

The spokesman added that a formal decision about the chief executive arrangements would be made before the end of March.