Following the news last month of Sarah Wilkinson stepping down as the chief executive of NHS Digital, Simon Bolton has now been appointed as the interim CEO.
Simon joins NHS Digital from his role as Chief Information Officer at Test and Trace, a position held since August 2020. Prior to this role, Simon was the Chief Information Officer at Jaguar Land Rover and a Governor at the University of Derby.
Sarah Wilkinson, who has been CEO of the organisation for four years is to leave the role in June.
David Bolton, said: “It is a privilege to join this organisation at such an important stage. The appetite for digitisation within the NHS presents a huge opportunity for all of us working in the health tech sector and my ambition is for NHS Digital to be at the forefront, driving innovation and developing solutions and new capabilities.
“What NHS Digital has achieved during the pandemic has been remarkable and I look forward to working alongside my new colleagues to continue to deliver for patients and the frontline.”
Laura Wade-Gery, Chair of the NHS Digital Board, said: “We are delighted that Simon is joining NHS Digital at what is a time of tremendous opportunity for us.
“The organisation has shown what it is capable of during the pandemic. It has stepped up and delivered digital programmes at unprecedented scale and pace which have undoubtably helped save lives.
“Simon will provide strong leadership for the organisation to maintain this momentum and build on what has been achieved over the last year, supporting and driving forward the wider NHS agenda of simultaneous restoration and transformation of services with digital at its heart.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah for her commitment, her dedication, and her outstanding leadership over the last four years.”
David Bolton will formally take on the role of Interim CEO on 4 June 2021 and the NHS Digital Board will run an open competition to recruit for the role on a permanent basis later this year.
