THE former chief executive of Worcestershire County Council has been appointed to a role at the organisation responsible for commissioning health services in the south of the county.

Trish Haines, who retired from her £176,000 a year post at the council in May, has been appointed as a lay member on the governing body of NHS South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Mrs Haines, who was handed a £95,000 ‘golden goodbye’ when she left the council, has been given specific responsibility for integration and partnerships and will work to strengthen links between health and social care groups in the county and further afield.

The CCG’s chairman Dr Anthony Kelly said he was pleased to welcome Mrs Haines to the group.

“We’re aware that the role of CCGs is continually developing and is likely to change further in the coming months," he said.

“There is an ever-increasing need for us to work harder to integrate health and social care services, so we have looked to get some particular support and experience for the governing body.

“We’re also interested in taking a greater role in commissioning primary care next year and - if we are to do this - we need to strengthen our internal governance processes.

“Trish applied for the role and was an outstanding candidate in terms of being able to support us on both of these fronts.”

The CCG’s governing body meets in public every two months. The next meeting will be held at 2.30pm on Thursday, September 25 in the council chamber at Malvern District Council’s headquarters in Avenue Road.

For more information visit www.southworcsccg.nhs.uk.