Our Board
Our Board is accountable for the decision making of the organisation.
Our Board is accountable for the decision making of the organisation.
Our board is made up of partners from the NHS, Somerset Council, Healthwatch Somerset and the VCFSE Sector. Watch this video to see how we are striving to deliver our vision for a healthier Somerset.
Our Board consists of a Chair, a Chief Executive Officer, Non-Executive Directors (clinical and non-clinical), Partner members, Executive Directors, and the Local Authority Director of Public Health.
The Board is supported by six Committees, who work together to commission the best possible healthcare services for the Somerset population:
- Quality Committee
- Primary Care Commissioning Committee
- Audit Committee
- Finance Committee
- Remuneration Committee
- Management Board
The Board’s role is to ensure we function effectively, efficiently and economically, and in accordance with the Integrated Care Board’s principles of good governance and its Constitution.
Key responsibilities of the Board are:
- Setting our vision and strategy
- Approving our commissioning plans and financial policies
- Monitoring local providers’ performance and quality
- Approving annual reports
- Ensuring that we debate issues in an open and transparent way
- Ensuring we have effective patient and public participation in commissioning healthcare.
ICB Board Meetings
All our Board meetings are open to the public to attend. Notification of the meetings is sent out to our mailing list a week before the meetings whenever possible. If you would like to raise a public question, please download the Public Questions Form and email this to julie.hutchings@nhs.net by midday on the Monday preceding the meeting. Please see our 'Guidance Notes for Members of the Public' for more information.
Meeting dates, locations and related documents are available in the meetings and papers section.
Our ICB Board Members
Rob Whiteman – Chair
Rob Whiteman was appointed Chair of the new cluster for NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS…
Paul von der Heyde – Deputy Chair
Paul von der Heyde has a wealth of experience within the NHS, serving as Chair of NHS…
Jonathan Higman – Chief Executive
Jonathan Higman is the Chief Executive of NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB). Jonathan has over 20…
Suresh Ariaratnam – Non Executive Director
Suresh Ariaratnam has worked in the book industry for over twenty three years, primarily as a literary…
Charlotte Callen – Director of Communications, Engagement and Marketing
Charlotte became a BBC Home Affairs correspondent in 2017. During her time with the BBC, she covered…
Graham Atkins – Chief People Officer
Graham Atkins is the Chief People Officer. Graham is the Chief People Officer of NHS Somerset Integrated…
Christopher Foster – Non Executive Director
Christopher Foster was Bishop of Portsmouth and a Lord Spiritual until stepping down in May 2021. Aside…
Dr Caroline Gamlin – Non Executive Director
Dr Caroline Gamlin has worked in healthcare for over 40 years. As a GP and Public Health…
Judith Goodchild – Healthwatch (Participant)
Judith Goodchild is an observer on the NHS Somerset board and is also the Chair of Healthwatch…
Alison Bell – Public Health Expert (participant)
Alison worked clinically in the NHS for four years before undertaking almost a decade of humanitarian work…
Alison Henly – Chief Finance Officer and Director of Performance and Contracting
Alison Henly is the Chief Finance Officer and Director of Performance and Contracting at NHS Somerset. Alison…
Peter Lewis – Foundation Trust Partner Member
Peter Lewis is the Chief Executive for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to the trusts merging in…
Dr Bernie Marden – Chief Medical Officer
Dr Bernie Marden is Chief Medical Officer at NHS Somerset A neonatal paediatrician by background having qualified…
David McClay – Chief Officer for Strategy, Digital and Integration
Davids’s career has spanned over 20 years across a variety of roles within both the Scottish and…
Shelagh Meldrum – Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Operations
Shelagh Meldrum is the Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Operations at NHS Somerset. She began her…
Katherine Nolan – SPARK Somerset, VCSE sector (Participant)
Katherine has worked in the VCFSE (voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise) sector for more than 20 years,…
Grahame Paine – Non Executive Director
Grahame is an experienced Non-Executive Director with a proven track record of success having influenced high-level strategies that…
Jade Renville – Director of Corporate Services and Affairs
Jade Renville undertakes the role of Director of Corporate Affairs and Services jointly with Somerset NHS Foundation…
Duncan Sharkey – Local Authority Partner Member
Duncan Sharkey, Chief Executive of Somerset Council was in October 2022. During the first six months of…
AGMs
NHS Somerset ICB & Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Marketplace and Annual General Meeting – 30 September 2025 (Location: Somerset County Cricket Club, Taunton)
Each year we hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to share our work with system partners, patients and the public. We focus on what we have achieved over the previous year and our plans for the year ahead.
Please find below the agenda and minutes from the last meeting, together with the presentation slides and the link to the ‘10 Year Health Plan Somerset Engagement 2025 Summary Report’.
Minutes of AGM held on 30 September 2024
How Somerset helped shape the 10 Year Plan - NHS Somerset ICB
NHS Somerset ICB Marketplace and Annual General Meeting – 30 September 2024 (Location: The Canalside, Bridgwater)
Please find below the agenda and minutes from last year's meeting, together with the presentation slides and AGM brochure:
Minutes of AGM held on 18 September 2023
NHS Somerset ICB Marketplace and Annual General Meeting – 18 September 2023 (Location: Bridgwater & Taunton College - Taunton Campus)
Please find below the agenda and presentation slides:
NHS Somerset CCG Annual General Meeting - 14 September 2021 (Virtual)
The AGM was a virtual event and members of the public were invited to view the proceedings. You can watch our recording of the meeting by clicking on the link below.
AGM 2021 Questions and Responses
NHS Somerset Annual General Meeting - 15 September 2020 (Virtual)
Due to Covid-19, we held the AGM as a virtual event, using Microsoft Teams LiveEvents, and members of the public were invited to view the proceedings. You can watch our recording of the meeting by clicking on the link below.
