DIFFICULT decisions will be needed to keep Health’s spending under control, the incoming chief officer has warned.

Mark Cooke, 46, takes up the post in February and expects to be under close scrutiny handling Health and Social Services’ £100m. budget when States spending is under severe strain.

Mr Cooke (pictured) is currently chief executive of the Dudley Primary Care Trust and believes pressures in Guernsey are similar to those in the UK.

He said ensuring the key aspects of the recent fundamental spending review were delivered would be a key challenge .

‘Because it’s a high-spending area, and demand on health services across the world is ever increasing, there’s going to be a quite a focus on me and how the department is run,’ said Mr Cooke.

‘The challenge is to try and strike the right balance between expectations of individuals. Everyone wants the best quality services, and the overall needs of the population. Sometimes that doesn’t sit comfortably together, particularly with expensive new treatments. We have to make some very difficult decisions.’

That was not peculiar to Guernsey, he said. The UK was looking to strip some £20bn spending, or 20%, out of the NHS.