Connecting for Health, the NHS's £6.2bn IT investment
programme, has appointed its fourth official in two years to lead
it in engaging with clinical and management
stakeholders.
Richard Jeavons is to join the Department of Health as director
of IT service implementation. He takes over from Alan Burns, who is
standing down from his IT role after becoming chief executive of
Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority.
In November 2004 Burns took on the leadership of implementing
CfH in addition to his role as chief executive of Trent Strategic
Health Authority. His appointment followed the departure of Aidan
Halligan, joint senior responsible owner of the NHS programme.
Halligan's departure came after the clinical lead for the
programme, Peter Hutton, stepped down as head of the National
Clinical Advisory Board in April, citing the need for greater
clarity "over arrangements over clinical input into the
programme".
A spokesman for CfH said Jeavons would stand down from his
current role as senior responsible owner for the CfH north-east
cluster and chief executive of West Yorkshire Strategic Health
Authority.