Care village operator, Belong, has strengthened its executive with the appointment of NHS England’s former head of nursing strategy and commissioning, Stacey McCann, to the post of chief operating officer.
McCann, 55, who was most recently responsible for the implementation of NHS England’s national nursing, midwifery and care staff framework, Leading Change, Adding Value, joins Belong following an NHS career spanning 36 years.
She adds significant national health sector experience to Belong’s senior management team at a time of substantial planned expansion for the Cheshire-based care provider, which has pioneered in the field of dementia care for over a decade.
During her time with the NHS, McCann held the posts of national lead for strategic programmes and business, assistant head of commissioning (nursing) and commissioning lead. As associate director of the North East Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Alliance, she was also responsible for management of the strategic review of the alliance’s cancer services between 2012-2013, and previously gained experience in a number of management posts within Yorkshire and Humberside.
She was educated in Merseyside and trained as a nurse in the region before gaining an MSc in Health Sciences at York University. In January 2018 she received the Nye Bevan Leadership Award in Healthcare Leadership.
Speaking about her move to Belong, she said: “After such a long time within the NHS it might be seen by some as a bold move into the care sector, but Belong is at the vanguard of dementia care in England and I am impressed by the organisation’s vision for the future of dementia care provision; therefore the move is a considered one for me at this time in my career.”
Belong chief executive, Tracey Stakes, added: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract such a senior NHS figure to Belong.
“I believe our vision for our leading role in the future of dementia care in the UK has helped Stacey to make her decision and I am confident that we have the necessary building blocks in place to see us through the next 10 years of planned expansion.”
