News

NHSX names new CEO, Matthew Gould

NHSX, which will be operational from July, has announced its CEO, Matthew Gould, who will join in the summer.

He is currently the Government’s Director General for digital and media policy, previously the Government’s Director for cyber security, and a former ambassador to Israel.

Matthew Gould said “Our single goal will be to improve the care that everyone in the country gets by making sure that both staff and patients have the technology they need.”

“I will know I have succeeded if in two years we have reduced the crazy amount of time that clinicians spend inputting and accessing patient information; if we have given patients the tools so they can access information and services directly from their phones; and if we have started to build a system in which patient information can be securely accessed from wherever it is needed, ensuring safer and better care as patients move around the system, and saving patients from having to tell every doctor and nurse their story over and over again.”

NHSX’s name reflects the importance of the user experience, or UX, in improving technology. NHSX wants to assemble a world-class team of technical experts to help solve some of the biggest technology challenges in health and care. It will soon begin recruiting a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to design and deliver a new Internet-based technical architecture for all of the NHS and social care.  The CTO will also oversee NHSX’s engineering and infrastructure work. NHSX will begin recruiting in the summer.

Until NHSX becomes operational in July, current reporting lines will remain in place, with NHSX led in the interim by a senior team from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:“I love the NHS – it has been there for all of us for more than 70 years and we owe the incredible doctors, nurses and care workers an enormous amount of gratitude for their dedication.”

“NHSX will be led by the brilliant Matthew Gould, and will harness the full potential of technology to improve patient experience and make our NHS the very best it can be. Matthew has a wealth of experience in managing large digital projects and I am delighted to have him onboard.”

“I want to invite the very best talent to join NHSX. If you’re an innovator and you want to serve our society, I want to welcome you to join the growing band of HealthTech pioneers at NHSX who are going to be on a mission to transform harness technology to save lives. We want to invite brilliant people from Government, NHS and industry will work closely with clinicians to cut through bureaucracy – meaning patients get access to the best innovations more quickly.”

“NHSX is one of the most exciting things happening in the UK. It’s cutting edge, it’s mission driven, and it’s about harnessing the best. This is just the beginning of the tech revolution, building on our NHS Long Term Plan to create leading health and care service – for us all.

Professor Andrew Goddard, Royal College of Physicians, said:“NHSX has a big task ahead and everyone will have their own wish list of issues to focus on. Delivering on interoperability, supporting better data collection and use to benefit patients, and helping patients to access information will all be steps in the right direction.”

“We look forward to working with NHSX to deliver solutions to the technology issues clinicians face everyday.”