CASH-STRAPPED Hywel Dda Health Board will spend an extra £220,000 a year on senior managers, figures have shown.

Chief executive Steve Moore said the new structure was needed to put the health board on a “firmer footing”.

The changes will see the former planning and finance director post split to provide a dedicated director of finance and director of planning, as well as the introduction of a director of primary and long term care, and the reintroduction of a director of therapies and health sciences.

Mr Moore said that, while the changes would require additional spending on senior managers, they were needed to ensure the health board has “the strongest possible team around the board table”.

The current director of planning and finance, Karen Miles, will take the director of planning (performance and commissioning) post, meaning the board will need to appoint a new director of finance.

An appointment for the director of primary and long term is expected to begin in the new year, with the director of therapies and health science expected to be appointed from April next year.

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