Simon Wootton appointed new Chief Officer of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group

Simon Wootton

Simon Wootton has been appointed the new Chief Officer of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (HMR CCG).

He will join the CCG in January 2016 following the retirement of current Chief Officer, Lesley Mort, who has been with the organisation since its inception in April 2013.

Mr Wootton said: “I’m really excited about moving into my new role at NHS HMR CCG and continuing to improve health and health services for local people.

“With the devolution of health and social care in Greater Manchester now moving forward at pace, I’m looking forward to working with the CCG’s partners to lead HMR’s services through an exciting and pivotal time of change.

“I am passionate about delivering the best possible healthcare for Rochdale borough residents and I’m proud to have been chosen as the CCG’s new Chief Officer. I’m committed to ensuring that local people receive the care and support they need to live long, happy and healthy lives.”

The Chief Officer, as the accountable officer of the CCG, has a broad set of responsibilities for ensuring improvement in the quality of services and the health of the local population.

Mr Wootton will join the CCG from NHS North Manchester CCG, where he is currently Chief Operating Officer.

He started his career in the NHS as a biochemist at Halifax Infirmary before becoming a general management trainee at Birch Hill Hospital.

He has previously been Chief Executive of an independent mental health services provider and prior to this was a healthcare consultant, a regional manager and a NHS Business Unit manager in the pharmaceutical industry.

He lives in Rossendale with his wife Gillian, and has three children, two now at university and one studying GCSEs.

NHS HMR CCG Chairman, Dr Chris Duffy, said: “I am delighted to have appointed Simon as our new Chief Officer at this exciting and challenging time for health and social care locally and regionally.

“I am looking forward to working with him to deliver continued improvements in local health services and to help drive the transformation of health and social care that is underway through the Greater Manchester devolution programme.

“Simon and I are already working together in a bid to make NHS HMR CCG a test bed for technological innovations that aim to improve the healthcare and outcomes of patients with long term conditions. It’s an exciting project and I’m looking forward to developing this and other healthcare improvements with him.”