New Chief Executive Officer for North Central London and North West London Integrated Care Boards announced
Frances has now begun the role as CEO of North West London ICB, while continuing in her position as CEO of the North Central London ICB – which she has held since 2022.
The following is an article posted by NWLNHS:
The new joint CEO role was put in place to enable the two ICBs to work towards a formal merger in April 2026 as part of a move to deliver cost savings, become a highly effective strategic commissioner and continue to deliver for local people.
The merged organisation, which will be called West and North London ICB, will be the largest in England - covering 13 London boroughs and serving a population of around 4.5m people.
The news comes following the recent appointment of Mike Bell as the new Chair for both organisations.
Mike Bell said: “I’d like to congratulate Frances on her appointment and I look forward to working with her in this new role as we focus on successfully delivering the merger, on strategic commissioning, tackling health inequalities across our 13 boroughs, and continuing to deliver high quality care for our patients and communities.
“Frances has an impressive track record in leadership roles across the NHS and is a brilliant appointment for this new role.
“I also want to thank Rob Hurd, who announced his resignation as CEO of North West London ICB earlier this year. Rob helped establish one of the most successful ICBs - building strong partnerships to improve outcomes for residents. Colleagues have praised Rob’s drive to put communities at the heart of the ICB’s work, his action on EDI. I wish him well in his next steps.”
Frances O’Callaghan said: “I am excited to be taking up this new role and look forward to working with partners, colleagues and communities from across all our boroughs.
“When people need health services, I want to ensure their experience is positive. We also need to improve the lives of people across our area – particularly those who are experiencing the greatest inequity.
“To achieve these ambitions, I know how important it is to ensure we hear and understand what community health needs are. We have to know and understand our many, diverse communities and populations. This will drive how we commission high quality services, collaborating with our many local and specialist partnerships to make a real difference.”
Dame Caroline Clarke, Regional Director for NHS England in London, said: "I am delighted to welcome Frances to her new role. Her experience leading NHS services in north London over the past few years makes her the ideal person to bring together North West London and North Central London ICBs and to deliver on behalf of our population and staff. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rob Hurd for his significant contribution to the NHS in London."
