Health chief moves to new role

One of the senior health officials in Sussex is moving to a new NHS post.
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Family doctor Elizabeth Gill, the clinical chair of the High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), is to become the chief medical officer for Sussex CCGs.

Her move comes as the seven CCGs across Sussex become three after a series of mergers aimed at saving money – about £5 million a year – by cutting the number of NHS managers.

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Dr Gill, 53, a GP (general practitioner) at Buxted Medical Centre, in Framfield Road, Buxted, near Uckfield, will step down as clinical chair at the end of the month.

Dr Elizabeth GillDr Elizabeth Gill
Dr Elizabeth Gill

She told a CCG governing body meeting on Wednesday December 4: “It has been a privilege and an honour to have led this organisation since 2012.

“We have achieved much together and the commitment of the governing body and the executive and management teams has allowed us to achieve many successful improvements for our population.

“A process has begun to recruit an interim chair to lead the merger.

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“I am not leaving the system. I am proud to have been appointed as the chief medical officer for the Sussex CCGs alongside my job share partner Dr Tim Caroe.

“This role will allow me to build on my passion for transformation and integration of services and care that I firmly believe needs strong clinical and managerial leadership working hand in glove together.”

Dr Caroe, 45, is a partner at the Lighthouse Medical Practice, in College Road, Eastbourne. The practice also has a surgery in Langney.

Dr Gill qualified from St Bartholomew’s Medical School, known as Barts, in 1996. She worked in various hospital jobs, including in A&E (accident and emergency) at the Royal London as part of the trauma team.

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She then moved to Brighton to pursue her career as a GP, joining Buxted surgery in 2003 where she completed her GP training. She became a partner and GP trainer in nine years ago.

Dr Gill also has a bachelor’s degree in fine art and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), helping her in her role as a GP trainer for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery.

She told the CCG governing body that the High Weald Lewes Havens CCG membership had voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new constitution which enables the CCG to merge with the Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG and the Hastings and Rother CCG.

A similar process will result in the merger of three West Sussex health bodies – Coastal West Sussex CCG, Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG and Crawley CCG.

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Brighton and Hove CCG will continue in its current form, with a number of senior management changes as part of the new Sussex-wide arrangements.

The three CCGs will have the same boundaries as East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council.

Dr Gill added: “This will facilitate the formation of an ‘integrated care partnership’ that can promote and deliver improved outcomes for our population by streamlining health and social care and addressing the wider determinants of health in line with the aspirations of the NHS Long Term Plan.”

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