Asante-Mensah brings more than 30 years of board-level experience across health, housing, education, criminal justice, and voluntary, community and faith sectors in addition to extensive experience on equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

Her experience includes senior leadership roles across Greater Manchester's NHS organisations and serving as chair of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust. She is also co-chair of the North West Race Equity Assembly. 

Bleakley brings extensive leadership and governance experience from across health and care, having served as a chief executive, accountable officer, trustee, committee chair and non-executive. Her experience includes leading NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB through financial recovery and improvement.

Emma Woollett, chair of Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, said: ‘I am delighted to announce the appointments of Evelyn Asante-Mensah and Tracey Bleakley. These appointments could not be at a more important time as they will both strengthen the board with extensive experience in NHS leadership, governance, social justice and organisational transformation.

‘The appointments come at an important time for the organisation as we continue to strengthen our role as a strategic commissioner, develop our partnerships and collaboration across the system and deliver our five-year strategic commissioning plan which all aim to support the transformation of health and care services and improve health and care outcomes for communities across Lancashire and South Cumbria.'