Lansley names preferred Chair of NHS Commissioning Board
Professor Malcolm Grant has been named by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as the preferred choice to head up the NHS Commissioning Board
Professor Malcolm Grant has been named by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as the preferred choice to head up the NHS Commissioning Board, the independent body that will drive continuous improvements in quality in the NHS. Professor Grant now appears in front of the Health Select Committee in a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing on Tuesday 18 October.
Professor Grant currently holds the post of President and Provost of UCL (University College London), and is expected to take up post at the end of October 2011. He is a qualified barrister and academic lawyer with wide experience of public service, including the Local Government Commission, Higher Education Funding Council for England and as a UK Business Ambassador.
The Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board will provide strategic leadership and vision for NHS commissioning. The NHS Commissioning Board is a major part of the Government’s plan to modernise NHS. It will:
- directly commission certain services including: primary medical care, specialised commissioning, offender and some military health;
- promote patient choice;
- ensure a comprehensive system of Clinical Commissioning Groups, and supporting and holding them to account;
- allocate of, and account for, NHS resources; and
- reduce inequalities in access to healthcare.
Malcolm Grant said:
“I am honoured to be named the preferred choice for this vital role. I am passionate about the NHS and see the Commissioning Board as playing a key part in delivering a service which meets the future needs of patients and of the nation. We need to build on the very best NHS qualities of dedicated public service, professionalism and pride, and seize the opportunity to create long-term stability and focus on getting constant improvement in quality and openness to innovation.”
Andrew Lansley said:
“I am delighted to announce Professor Malcolm Grant as the preferred candidate for Chair of the NHS Commissioning Board.
“Professor Grant has distinction and authority, is outstandingly capable and has excellent leadership skills, demonstrated by his success at UCL. He has a strong track record of delivery in complex public sector organisations, and shares the public sector ethos and values of the NHS.
“I look forward to him bringing his characteristics of leadership, independence and strategic direction to the role of Chair of the Commissioning Board, as it supports the development of Clinical Commissioning Groups and secures for the NHS continuous improvement in the quality of services, reduction health inequalities and delivers integrated, responsive services which are vital to meeting the needs of patients and achieving the world-leading outcomes to which we aspire.”
The NHS Commissioning Board’s central role is to drive improvement in results for patients, ensuring a fair and comprehensive service across the country. It will also promote the NHS Constitution and champion the interests of patients, using choice and information to empower people to improve services.
Accountable to the Secretary of State via an annual mandate, the NHS Commissioning Board will be an independent, statutory body, free to determine its own organisational shape, structure and ways of working.
The Secretary of State will remain responsible for promoting a comprehensive health service; and retains the ultimate accountability for securing the provision of services, through his relationship with NHS bodies.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- For media enquiries please ring the Department of Health newsdesk on 0207 210 5221.
- For further information on the NHS Commissioning Board: http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/the-role-of-the-nhs-commissioning-board/
- For further information on the appointment process of the Chair: http://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/codeofpractice/index.html
- For further information on the Health and Social Care Bill: http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/factsheets/