A former top executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’ has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of NHS England.
On Wednesday (July 28) Amanda Pritchard was announced as the new CEO taking over from Sir Simon Stevens, making history as the first woman to hold the post. He had announced in April that he would step down after eleven years in the role.
In the role she will be responsible for an annual budget of more than £130 billion.
Prior to her appointment she had been on secondment for NHS England working as the NHS’ chief operating officer for the last two years.
She had taken up this position after working for Guy’s and St Thomas’ as its CEO.
“I am honoured to lead the NHS, particularly as the first woman chief executive of an organisation whose staff are more than three quarters female,” she said.
“I have always been incredibly proud to work in the health service but never more so than over the last eighteen months as nurses, doctors, therapists, paramedics, pharmacists, porters, cleaners and other staff have responded so magnificently to the COVID pandemic.
“There are big challenges ahead as NHS staff continue to deal with significant pressures while maintaining the roll-out of the hugely successful NHS vaccination programme and tackle backlogs that have inevitably built up in the face of rising Covid infections.
“However the skill, determination and ‘can do’ spirit that NHS staff have shown in the face of the greatest challenge in the health service’s history means we face the future with confidence.”
A spokesperson for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are absolutely delighted and also very proud that Amanda Pritchard has been appointed the new chief executive of NHS England, replacing Sir Simon Stevens when he steps down.
“We send our warmest congratulations to Amanda and look forward to continuing to work with her and the team at NHS England as the NHS continues its recovery from earlier waves of the pandemic, whilst remaining ready to respond to any future increases in COVID admissions.”
Boris Johnson said: “I am delighted Amanda has been appointed the new NHS chief executive, the first woman in the history of the health service to hold this post.
“This is a critical moment for the NHS as it continues to care for COVID patients whilst tackling treatment backlogs caused by the pandemic.
“Amanda’s experience and expertise mean she is perfectly placed to address these issues and more, and I look forward to working closely with her.”