County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to announce that Dr Jenny Steel, Medical Director of Community Services for the Trust, has been appointed to the role of Director of Integrated Community Services across County Durham and Darlington on a two-year secondment.
This appointment recognises Dr Steel’s significant contributions to community healthcare and her leadership in strengthening partnerships across local communities, stakeholders, and healthcare providers.
Her new role will build on the collaborative efforts she has already fostered, further enhancing service integration to improve patient care across the region.
As Medical Director for Community Services, Dr Steel has been instrumental in driving key initiatives, including strengthening collaboration with local care homes, improving frailty pathways, and delivering patient-centred care closer to home.
She has also played a vital role at a regional level, working closely with Integrated Care Board (ICB) partners. In a previous role, she was a key figure in establishing the GP Federation in Darlington, bringing invaluable expertise in general practice to this new position.
Speaking about her appointment, Dr Steel said: “These are exciting times for our partnership working. The NHS Plan and emerging national social care policies present even greater opportunities to deliver care closer to home, ensuring we meet the needs of our local communities. We have a strong foundation of positive joint working, and we know that shared challenges can only be addressed through collaboration. I look forward to taking up the role and working alongside our partners to drive service integration further.”
Dr Steel currently oversees medical support for the Trust’s community hospitals and Specialist Palliative Care Team. Plans are being reviewed to ensure continuity of these services during her secondment, maintaining high standards of care for patients.
