THE controversy-hit board which plans and buys health services for Oxfordshire has elected a new clinical chairman.

Witney GP Kiren Collison will now lead Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as it perseveres with its much-maligned Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP).

The CCG is a board of county GPs which commissions (pays) NHS organisations or private healthcare firms to run hospitals and other health centres with NHS England funding.

It is currently running a consultation on its STP, which proposes cutting 200 acute hospital beds in the county.

Dr Collison was appointed following an election involving all 70 of Oxfordshire’s GP practices.

The group said there was a 97 per cent turn out at the election, but did not say how much of the vote Dr Collison won, saying only she had been given ‘a strong mandate’.

She will take on the clinical chairman role in December from Dr Joe McManners, who has been in the role since 2014.

Dr Collison, who has previously worked in Blackbird Leys and Banbury, has been involved in the work of the CCG for four years and is currently the GP lead for diagnostics and maternity services across the county.

Speaking after her election, she said: “We continue to face increased demand, financial pressures, workforce shortages and inequalities.

“In light of the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in, I will work very hard with all member GPs, all providers, social care and patients to bring about sustainable services across all healthcare settings.”