NHS chief to lead service for four more years

Martin Slack

HEALTH chiefs have re-appointed the man who has been at the helm of healthcare in Rotherham for the last eight years for a further four-year term of office.

Alan Tolhurst took on the chairman’s role at Rotherham’s primary care trust, now known as NHS Rotherham, when it was first set up in April 2002 and was re-appointed in 2006.

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Mr Tolhurst, who will be paid 34,153 a year, has also worked as chairman of the North Nottinghamshire Health Authority.

He said: “Over the last eight years I have witnessed some fantastic work being undertaken by staff at NHS Rotherham to improve the health of local people.

“Over the next couple of years the NHS will face a number of tough challenges as it reorganises under the new coalition government. I hope that during this time we will continue to see improvements in the delivery of our services and in the health of local people.

“I also look forward to further joint working between ourselves, the local authority and other partner organisations.”

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PCTs face being scrapped under the coalition Government, which wants to see family doctors take charge of commissioning healthcare. It is expected that the current management team will remain in charge in Rotherham until the PCT is disbanded.

Mr Tolhurst retired from the RAF in 1988 after 31 years where he commanded a Hercules transport aircraft squadron as well as the largest RAF flying training station.

He was also a Personal Staff Officer to a NATO commander, a senior member of the RAF Policy Department and Air Advisor to the British High Commissioner in Canada.

Since then, Mr Tolhurst’s appointments have included the general manager of Universiade GB Ltd where he had overall responsibility for organising, funding and running the World Student Games in 1991.

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He is also active in the voluntary sector as chairman of a county branch of SSAFA Forces Help, a trustee of South Yorkshire/North Nottinghamshire Aircraft Museum, treasurer of Firbeck Parochial Church Council, a welfare case worker for the RAF Benevolent Fund and president of the Maltby Branch of the Royal British Legion.

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