Jane Kennedy, Minister of State for Quality and Safety today announced the appointment of Dame Yve Buckland as the new Chair of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. The new organisation, formerly known by the working title of the NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation, will be launched as a Special Health Authority on 1 July 2005.
Jane Kennedy said: "I am very pleased that the independent NHS Appointments Commission has appointed Dame Yve Buckland as Chair of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. I am sure that Dame Yve's vision and expertise will contribute greatly both to the launch of the NHS Institute in July this year and in meeting the challenges ahead. Dame Yve's track record in chairing both the National Consumer Council for Water and the Health Development Agency demonstrates clearly her powers of leadership and dedication to delivering improvements in public services."
Sir Ian Carruthers OBE, Transition Director for the NHS Institute and Chief Executive of Dorset and Somerset SHA said: "I am delighted that Dame Yve has been appointed as the Chair of the NHS Institute. She will lead an organisation that has the opportunity to deliver benefits to patients by fostering a culture of learning and innovation within the NHS, which will accelerate the improvement of health and health care in all our local communities.
"Dame Yve brings with her the knowledge and experience needed to ensure that the NHS Institute establishes a national and international reputation. I wish her and her team every success in developing the organisation and the wider system for speeding improvement in the NHS. "
Dame Yve Buckland said: "I am thrilled to be appointed to this role; the NHS Institute is an exciting venture which will help to provide an ambitious focus for new ideas, technologies and practices to improve services to patients. From the outset, it will aim to be receptive to the challenges within the NHS, by working as part of a wider NHS system and drawing on the best skills and resources in order to focus on designing solutions to the priority issues."
"I would like to thank Sir Ian and his transition team who have guided the development process for the NHS Institute until now. On behalf of the incoming Board and staff we look forward to the challenge and privilege of playing our part in developing an organisation that has the opportunity to affect both the lives of patients and healthcare staff."
Notes to Editors
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement will support the NHS and its workforce in accelerating the delivery of world-class health and healthcare for patients and public by encouraging innovation and developing capability at the frontline.
The appointment will be for up to four years in the first instance. Dame Yve will be expected to devote up to three days a week to the role with a remuneration of £60k per annum.
In April 2005 Yve was appointed Chair Designate for the National Consumer Council for Water (Defra). Prior to this appointment she was Chair of the Health Development Agency (DoH 2000-2005) following her Chairmanship at the Health Education Authority since 1997. Yve was also until recently Vice-Chair of the South Warwickshire Primary Care Trust. Since 2003 Yve has been Programme Director of University of Warwick Health Service Partnership at the Institute of Governance and Public Management at the Warwick Business School.
Yve is an Honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine and a Senior Associate Fellow of the Warwick Institute of Public Governance and also a fellow of the RSA. She was awarded the DBE in HM Birthday Honours List June 2003 for services to Public Health.
Yve was a member of the Modernisation Action Team on Health Inequalities set up by the Secretary of State for Health to feed into the NHS Plan 2000. She went on to become a member of the National Task Force on Inequalities and Public Health and also lead the consultation group on Involving Communities for the soon to be published White Paper on Public Health. In 2004 Yve was appointed to the Curry Commission on food and farming to provide expertise on public health issues. She has also advised the Local Authority Beacon Councils panel on healthy communities issues.
Yve's professional background was in local government. Between 1992 and 1999 she was Deputy Chief Executive and City Secretary of Nottingham City Council, where among other things she led the work to create a shared vision and effective partnership between health agencies and the local authority to tackle health inequalities in Nottingham.
