MARK NICHOLLS The hunt is being broadened to find new chief executives for Norfolk and Suffolk's beleaguered primary care trusts after it was revealed that the trawl of current health bosses in the eastern region had failed to produce a suitable candidate.

MARK NICHOLLS

The hunt is being broadened to find new chief executives for Norfolk and Suffolk's beleaguered primary care trusts after it was revealed tonight that the trawl of current health bosses in the eastern region had failed to produce a suitable candidate.

Reorganisation had created new county-wide PCTs for Norfolk and Suffolk - with the exception of Great Yarmouth and Waveney - and announcements were expected today on who would head up the new authorities.

But while names of other PCT chiefs in the east were announced, the East of England Strategic Health Authority said the hunt for Norfolk and Suffolk chief executives would now be taken nationally.

A spokeswoman said: “The job was originally open to a pool of current candidates in the eastern region but it was found that there was no suitable applicant, so now the job has been advertised nationally.”

It is unclear how many of chief executives from the current PCTs applied for the new post.

The positions are widely regarded as tough jobs with the first task to cut a deficit in Norfolk that could hit £50m by next year, with Suffolk facing similar financial problems.

The first task of the new chief executives is likely to be to cut services, jobs and save money.

The SHA spokeswoman said: “These are really big jobs, it is different to the current PCT jobs and what we also want to show is that we need to get the right people in the jobs, it is not just going to be a case where we shuffle the current people around.”

Similarly, the East of England SHA is still looking for someone to head up its expanded operation, which now covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

Meanwhile, Mike Stonard, the current chief executive of Great Yarmouth PCT has been appointed chief executive of the new combined Yarmouth and Waveney PCT with Bernard Williamson, the PCT chairman, now taking up the chair of the combined authority, a post which as remuneration of £32,500 a year.

Norfolk PCT Sheila Childerhouse has appointed the chair of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital trust at King's Lynn as its chair. She us also a Breckland district councillor and member of the East of England Development Agency.

In Cambridgeshire the chair is Maureen Donnelly, with Marco Cereste chairing the new Peterborough PCT. Both PCTs have yet to find chief executives.

Also today, the NHS Appointments Commission appointed Barry Dennis and Ken Applegate to the board of Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust as non-executive directors.

Mr Dennis, the managing director of Archant Norfolk, the firm which publishes the Eastern Daily Press as well as local magazines and regional weekly newspapers, has been appointed with effect from August 1 to July 31, 2010.

Mr Applegate has retired from Norwich Union after 27 years' service, more recently as business development director of Norwich Union Central Services. He has been appointed to the Trust board with effect from July 1.

Each will receive a remuneration of £5,730 a year for their role.