Alumnus Professor Stephen Powis is named new NHS medical director
Professor Powis read
Medicine at St John’s, where he matriculated in 1979. He is currently chief
medical officer at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and professor of
renal medicine at UCL.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of 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.’
Professor Powis has held leadership positions in a range of
organisations across the health sector, including interim chair of the North
Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, chair of the Association of UK
Hospitals medical directors’ group and a board member of Medical Education
England. He is a past chairman of the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians
Training Board specialty advisory committee for renal medicine. He is also a
member of the Merton Clinical Commissioning Group governing body. His main
clinical interest is renal transplantation.
Professor Powis said: ‘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. 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.’
Professor Powis will take up his new role at NHS England at the start of 2018.