10.11.17
NHS England announces new medical director replacement for Bruce Keogh
NHS England has today announced the appointment of its new national medical director, replacing the outgoing Sir Bruce Keogh.
Professor Stephen Powis was placed in the position by the NHS England board following an open competition process.
Powis is currently group chief medical officer at the Royal Free London NHS FT, but is expected to succeed Keogh in his national role in the new year.
He previously served as a CCG board member and is a practicing hospital consultant, as well as a professor of renal medicine at University College London and chief clinical information officer at the Royal Free Trust.
“I feel tremendously privileged to be taking on the role of NHS England national medical director, providing a clear clinical voice and vision for the NHS and working with the medical profession to achieve that,” commented Powis.
“I am particularly humbled to be taking over from Sir Bruce Keogh who has done so much to put quality at the heart of all we do. My task is to ensure we remain relentlessly focussed on health improvement and achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.”
In response, Keogh said: “It has been an honour to serve as national medical director for the past decade. Having worked with Stephen, I know he will be a standard bearer for clinical excellence, professionalism and patient centred care.”
Keogh announced his departure from the position in April and has been appointed as chair of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS FT. He will take up this role when he leaves NHS England at the end of the year.
Simon Stevens, chief executive at NHS England, said: “We are delighted to appoint Steve Powis as the new medical director for NHS England. He brings first-hand experience of frontline care as well as a practical track record of driving major innovation and service improvement.”
Top image: NHS England
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