An experienced consultant in anaesthesia and pain management has been appointed as a new clinical board member with NHS Derby and Derbyshire.
Dr Adedeji Okubadejo, who has worked at University Hospitals Birmingham for more than 20 years, will chair the local NHS system's Quality and Performance Committee and bring clinical expertise and understanding to the work of the ICB's Board.
NHS Derby and Derbyshire is the health body established in July 2022 to co-ordinate health and social care across Derby and Derbyshire.
Overseeing the use of £2.9bn NHS funding allocated to Derby and Derbyshire, the organisation is responsible for planning and commissioning NHS services for local patients, in partnership with other statutory bodies including local authorities.
In his roles at University Hospitals Birmingham, Dr Okubadejo has held leadership positions including clinical director for anaesthesia and theatres, Caldicott Guardian, and associate medical director with portfolios including the professional management of doctors, medical appraisal and revalidation as well as being the chair of the clinical standards group and the patient safety group.
Dr Okubadejo also works in the independent healthcare sector undertaking private clinical practice as well as a leadership role as Responsible Officer for an independent healthcare provider organisation where he also chairs the clinical governance and compliance committee. He has also worked in healthcare commissioning for five years as Independent Secondary Care Doctor on the Governing Body of the former Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group. His other previous roles include regional and national experience in setting up the national framework around medical revalidation and the management of concerns in doctors.
In his personal life, Dr Okubadejo undertakes charitable work supporting improvement in quality of teaching and learning in a high school in his birth country, Nigeria, where he also completed his initial medical training. He is also the chair of a UK organisation that focuses on improving the educational achievement of ethnic minority children in primary education in the UK. He is married to a primary school teacher, lives near Solihull and has a semi-professional interest in photography.
John MacDonald, Chair of NHS Derby and Derbyshire, said: "Deji is an experienced clinician who will add further depth to our Board. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the roles, and through his chairmanship of the system's Quality and Performance Committee, Deji will provide assurance to the Board in relation to the quality, performance, safety, experience and outcomes of services we commission. It will also ensure the ICB discharges its statutory duties in relation to the achievement of continuous quality improvement and safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults. Deji has wide experience of providing clinical leadership at Board level and I'm delighted to appoint him into this role following a rigorous recruitment and selection process.
On his appointment, Dr Okunbadejo said: "I am very proud to take up this appointment in Derby and Derbyshire and am keen that our discussions focus on making sure we develop services around patients and their journeys through care, rather than around organisational budgets. It is for this reason that Integrated Care Systems make absolute sense, and I'm very excited to help and have influence in this approach, for the benefit of local people. I have experience in a range of roles across the healthcare landscape, and I have a clear ethic to add some personal value to ensure we collectively design the best outcomes for our citizens to achieve improved quality of care and improved health."
Dr Okubadejo joins four non-executive members on the Board of NHS Derby and Derbyshire - Julian Comer, Margaret Gildea, Richard Wright and Sue Sunderland. The appointment of the independent clinical and non-executive members is an important step in ensuring lay member representation to oversee decision-making and governance. The Clinical (Other) Member role attracts a salary in the region of £36,000 based upon the anticipated clinical sessions that will be worked.
ICB background
The NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) was established on 1 July 2022, and is the NHS organisation responsible for planning to meet local health needs, allocating resources, ensuring services are in place to deliver against ambitions, and overseeing delivery of improved outcomes for their population. Tackling inequalities in health outcomes, the ICB is part of the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Health and Care system, continuing to work with partners in local authority, the voluntary sector and others, helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.