Dr Timothy Ferris has been appointed by NHS England and NHS Improvement to the role of Director of Transformation, helping to deliver operational improvements across the organisation.
Dr Ferris has served as a Non-Executive Director of NHS Improvement for almost three years and is well-known for work improving health and care in both hospital and community settings.
In his position, Dr Ferris will lead the new Transformation Directorate, which will bring together the operational improvement team of NHS England and NHS Improvement and NHSX, the health service’s digital arm, to maintain the pace of innovation which had been seen during the pandemic.
He joins the NHS full time from a current role with the not-for-profit Massachusetts General Physicians Organisation, where he is Chief Executive, and serving as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Responding to the appointment of Dr Ferris, NHS England Chair Lord David Prior said: “The NHS has some of the most impressive and talented people in the world, and Dr Ferris has already shown as one of our NHS non-executive directors a passion for all that is best about our health service, as well as a global track record of driving practical change for the benefit of patients and communities.”
NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens added: “The NHS has had an extraordinary year in which our staff have innovated in response to Covid-19, developing ground-breaking treatments and care.
“As a physician-leader with a global reputation, Dr Ferris will help drive and embed this momentum and ‘can do’ spirit, as we move beyond the pandemic.”
Dr Ferris will move to England and take up the new post on secondment in May.
Dr Ferris said: “The NHS and its staff have responded magnificently to the Covid-19 pandemic and I’m proud and excited to take up this role as the health service integrates convenient yet cutting-edge technology into patient care.
“The successful NHS vaccine programme and development of new therapies for Covid-19 has shown that the NHS can be hugely agile and innovative.
“I look forward to playing my part in ensuring that the NHS continues to stay at the forefront of developing and adopting new technologies and treatments to improve health and treatment.”
