SOME director posts at the Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust and the West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust may be merged, it was revealed this week.

It was announced on Friday that Stephen Golledge will continue as acting chief executive at Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT on a six-month secondment and will take over the same role for West Wiltshire PCT, when outgoing chief executive Donna Stiles leaves in early April.

Mr Golledge, of West Gloucestershire PCT, has been doing the job of part-time acting chief executive since October after Barbara Smith's sudden departure.

At first he shared the job with Mike Theelke, a senior director at West Gloucestershire PCT, but since February he has been doing the job alone.

Mr Golledge said one of his tasks was to report back to both PCT boards on the future management structure of both zero-rated PCTs.

He said an option could be to merge a number of director posts in both organisations and he would be speaking to directors, staff and other interested groups in the next two months.

He said: "Sharing directors could be an option for the future management arrangements for both PCTs and that will be debated over the coming weeks.

"There are no plans to merge the PCTs. The boards and professional executive committees would remain separate and each PCT would manage its own budget."

Meanwhile three new non-executive directors have begun work at the Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT and on Friday they visited Devizes Hospital, including the maternity unit.

They are Julian Sturgis, who lives near Malmesbury, Peter Salter, who lives in Marlborough and Anne Tew, who lives near Devizes.

Mr Sturgis, 65, is a former senior business executive and chief executive. He was left disabled after a riding accident 15 years ago.

Mr Salter, 55, is a chartered accountant and former chief executive of a top ten accountancy firm.

Mrs Tew, 35, runs a small business providing financial services and consultancy. She is a former member of the local branch of the National Childbirth Trust and she stayed at Devizes Maternity Unit for post natal care after giving birth to her daughter four years ago.

Mrs Tew said: "We are on a big learning curve and the PCT need us to bring fresh thoughts to the issues."