The NHS’s top doctor has announced he is stepping down from the role, just a week after the surprise resignation of NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, has announced that he will step down this summer, after more than seven years in the role.
He said he it had been an “immense privilege” to do his job and that he had always been “exceptionally proud to work in the NHS… while stepping down from this role, I remain passionate and committed to improving the health of patients and improving the experience of staff.
“My time in post has been dominated by the pandemic and its ongoing impact – I will forever be humbled by the extraordinary work of staff throughout the NHS to the greatest health emergency in a century and I am very proud of the support and advice I was personally able to give to staff, ministers and the public.”
Sir Stephen is understood to have told Ms Pritchard of his decision in January, but it risks leaving a gap at the top of NHS England, after she announced last week that she was leaving at the end of the month.
At the time the health secretary Wes Streeting insisted that her departure was amicable.
But it comes as NHS England, which has been at arms length from the department of health for more than 10 years, comes under closer ministerial oversight.
Mr Streeting is under intense pressure to improve the NHS, one of the government’s key priorities, including reducing extremely lengthy waiting lists and making it easier to see a GP.
The new boss of NHS England Jim Mackey is soon set to publish a new 10 year plan to reform and improve the NHS, designed to build a health service “fit for the future.”
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