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Senior jobs in NHS England and NHS Improvement are at risk with the creation of integrated care systems, although an “employment commitment” should protect most commissioning staff.

New employment guidance published by NHSE says that the commitment” to protect jobs will not apply to senior NHSE/I staff, nor to “board level” managers in clinical commissioning groups.

A health bill due to be published in draft around the end of this month is passed, it is likely to transfer some responsibilities for commissioning primary care, specialised services, and prison health to ICSs over the next two years. Some “assurance” functions currently carried out mostly by NHSE regional teams may also transfer or be removed.

The new guidance does not offer details of how widespread redundancies would be, but said there would be “a talent approach to this change” and “a co-ordinated approach at national, regional and system level is being developed to provide this”.

For leaders who do face redundancy from the process, the guidance says NHSE will offer them “executive lead support”. This includes the option of “mentoring from the Centre for Army Leadership”, which “exists to champion army leadership excellence”.

New resident for property firm

There will be a new head of government-owned NHS property firm Community Health Partnerships next month, as long-serving chief executive Sue O’Connell has announced her retirement.

Dr O’Connell, who has led CHP since 2006, will hand over to Wendy Farrington-Chadd at the end of next month.

CHP, which is owned by the health and social care secretary, manages hundreds of properties inherited from primary care trusts.

Under Dr O’Connell’s leadership, the company has also built more than 350 health centres through the creation of public/private partnerships under the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust programme. She trained as a GP before going into management.