We are pleased to announce our final Board appointment to NHS Dorset. We have successfully appointed Debbie Simmons to the role of Chief Nursing Officer Designate.

Debbie has kindly written a few words which we wanted to share with you.

We would like to share our congratulations to Debbie and thank everyone involved in the recruitment process for this and all our Chief Officer posts as we launch NHS Dorset on Friday 1 July.

Thank you

Jenni Douglas-Todd
Chair Designate
NHS Dorset

Patricia Miller
Chief Executive Designate
NHS Dorset

Debbie joins us from Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS) where she has been working for the past 9 years. Her current role of Interim Chief Nurse follows several other senior positions held, including Nurse Director for the four CCGs in Berkshire West, through their ‘wave one’ ICS journey and onto the establishment of the BOB ICS. Prior to this Debbie worked as Assistant Director Quality & Clinical Excellence at Hounslow & Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust.

“I am thrilled to be joining NHS Dorset at this exciting time and am very much looking forward to working with our Dorset partners to improve health outcomes for everyone living in the county. Everyone I have spoken to during the recruitment process has impressed me with their passion and commitment to the NHS in the face of some well documented challenges and I hope to be able to meet and work with as many of you as possible over the coming weeks and into the future as we develop as an organisation.”

Debbie Simmons
Chief Nursing Officer Designate

About NHS Dorset

 NHS Dorset is the public name of NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is set to come into being on 1 July 2022.

NHS Dorset will undertake the statutory responsibilities of the current Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will also be responsible for planning to meet the healthcare needs of people and communities in Dorset.

NHS Dorset will work with others to:

  • Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare;
  • Tackle inequalities in outcome and access;
  • Enhance productivity and value for money;
  • Help the NHS deliver broader social and economic development, particularly post the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHS Dorset will listen to people and communities across Dorset, see things from their perspective, and co-design the services that people really need going forward, so that we can support people to live healthy and happy lives from cradle to old age.