09 Mar 2022

St Helens Cares - the place-based partnership of health and social care organisations in the borough - is pleased to announce the appointment of current CCG Accountable Officer as the new St Helens Place Director, Mark Palethorpe.

 

Following a thorough recruitment process, St Helens Cares - the place-based partnership of health and social care organisations in the borough - is pleased to announce the appointment of our first Place Director, Mark Palethorpe.

Working closely with local partners, Mark will play a central role in the future integration of health and care, taking a lead on tackling the health inequalities within our communities.

Mark has been the CCG Accountable Officer since February 2021 in a joint role with St Helens Borough Council as Executive Director of Integrated Health and Care.

Before joining St Helens, he spent four years at Cheshire East Council in the role of Executive Director for People’s Services with responsibility for Adults Social Care, Children and Young People, Public Health and Communities.  He has also been the NHS and Council Place lead for Cheshire East and led on Public Sector Transformation across the sub region of Cheshire and Warrington. 

Mark said: “I am delighted to announce that following my interview, I have been appointed as the Place Director for St Helens.  I will also continue to be the Executive Director for Integrated and Health and Social Care at St Helens Borough Council.

“I am pleased that I can continue to lead the work that has been ongoing – delivering the ICS strategic objective at place and working with our partners to deliver outstanding health and social care across our communities in St Helens.

“The success of the St Helens Cares model is down to all the hard work of the staff, volunteers, partners and great people of St Helens and I look forward to exciting times ahead.”

Kath O’Dwyer, Chief Executive at St Helens Borough Council, said: “I am thrilled that Mark will be remaining with us in the capacity of Executive Director of Integrated Health and Social Care. Mark has a wealth of experience in health and social care, and I am confident that he is a safe and trusted pair of hands to lead us through our progression to integration and beyond, as we focus on our priority to tackle the health inequalities that our communities experience.”

Ann Marr OBE, Chief Executive at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “"I would like to congratulate Mark on his appointment as Place Director for St Helens and look forward to continuing our successful partnership working to improve outcomes for the people of St Helens.”  

Mark is one of nine place directors who have been appointed across Cheshire and Merseyside and who will take up their posts on 1 July 2022, when NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) is established. In the meantime, Mark will become involved with the ICB from early April so he can contribute to the further design of the integration agenda.

This was a robust, inclusive process and the selection panel for each post included the ICB Designate Chief Executive, a non-executive director, a place-specific elected member or members, the relevant local authority Chief Executive, and representatives of both primary care and NHS providers.

Graham Urwin, Designate Chief Executive of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, said: “I am really excited we have put together an excellent team of people to carry out the pivotal role of place director throughout our Integrated Care System. They all have relevant experience and skills and comprise a complementary team who will work together and alongside NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership.

“As well as delivering on effective integration, they will also address the very real health inequalities our communities experience – a primary objective of the ICB and all our partners.

“I would like to personally congratulate all the successful candidates and wish them every success.”