Richard Kirby appointed NHS England national advisor on neighbourhood health
NHS England has appointed Richard Kirby as national advisor for neighbourhood health.
The post will involve Richard working four days a month in the advisory role until March 2026, alongside continuing as chief executive of BCHC.
Richard said: “I am delighted to have been asked to contribute to NHS England’s work to develop neighbourhood health services.
"Since starting my career working with a group of GPs in south Birmingham, locally integrated health and care has been important to me and continues to drive my commitment in my current role at Birmingham Community Healthcare.
"I look forward to working as part of the team at NHS England to help develop this further.”
Richard has been chief executive of Birmingham Community Healthcare since March 2018 and has over 26 years' NHS management and leadership experience.
In his current role, he also leads the Birmingham and Solihull Community Care Collaborative, developing integrated care in neighbourhoods and localities.
NHS England has also appointed Siobhan Melia, chief executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, as national advisor for community health services.
Siobhan will provide expert input and advice on the delivery of priority areas including the delivery of timely access to community services, the integration of primary care and community services, and shifting more care out of hospital into communities.
Siobhan said: “I am incredibly pleased to be appointed as national adviser for community health services. This is an exciting time to help shape the future of service delivery, especially when there is an important national focus on shifting care out of hospital and into the community.
"Community services play a vital role in supporting people at all stages of life and I look forward to working with the national team to drive meaningful improvements that make a difference to our patients.”
Welcoming Richard and Siobhan to NHS England, national director for primary care and community services Amanda Doyle said: “Both Richard and Siobhan bring a wealth of expertise from their work in community trusts.
"I’m delighted that they will provide their valuable insights and experience to help us drive improvements in community health services and neighbourhood health and deliver the best possible care for patients and carers across England.”
Siobhan and Richard will both continue their chief executive roles, working four days a month at NHS England until March 2026.