How we are run

Trust Board

NHS County Durham has its own statutory NHS County Durham board, which holds an annual general meeting once per year in public.  

This board is made up of executive members and non executive directors. Find out more about the NHS County Durham board, including members, papers and calendar of meetings.

Joint Board

As from 1 April 2011, NHS County Durham and NHS Darlington have established a joint committee of their statutory boards, known as the joint board, to oversee the commissioning functions of both primary care trusts.

The joint board is supported by one management team, which is led by one Joint Chief Executive.  Yasmin Chaudhry is the Chief Executive of both NHS County Durham and NHS Darlington.  The joint board holds bi-monthly meetings and papers are made publicly available after those meetings have been held.

Board update December 2011

NHS County Durham and Darlington Cluster Board appointments

In order to deliver 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' primary care trust (PCT) boards were required to work in clusters.  For over a year, County Durham PCT (CDPCT) and Darlington PCT (DPCT) have worked effectively together as an integrated board, known as NHS County Durham and Darlington (NHSCDD). 

During the transition period, the PCTs were asked to deliver cluster arrangements, which required changing the non-executive composition of the Board.  This would incorporate one joint cluster chair, one joint audit cluster committee chair and six (NEDs) to include the vice chair.

The Appointment Commission has appointed Lady Ann Calman, previous chair of CDPCT, as the cluster chair and Keith Tallintire, previous chair of CDPCT audit committee as cluster audit chair.

Ken Greenfield resigned as chair of DPCT and has been appointed as a non-executive of the cluster board.  He has been appointed as chair of the shadow clinical commissioning sub-committee (SCCG) for Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield.  John Flook resigned from his position of audit chair for DPCT to assist the transition arrangements in delivering 'Equity and Excellence'.  He remains a non-executive director of the cluster board, chairs the SCCG for Darlington and is the cluster audit vice chair.

All of the remaining Non-Executive Directors are now joint appointments across both County Durham and Darlington.

 The new cluster board will:

  • ensure effective governance and accountability and ensure a smooth transition as clinical commissioning groups emerge as we move towards the formation of the new national NHS Commissioning Board in 2013
  • help co-ordinate work across the region during this time of significant change, ensure ongoing engagement with key stakeholders and avoid duplication of work as the new system for clinical commissioning is developed.

The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice.