He has been appointed commercial director at Telstra Health, a division of Australia’s leading telecommunications provider where he will lead development of new digital and mobile solutions for patients, professionals and citizens around the world.

Tim started at NHS England in 2012 when it was established. He has led its work on data and technology and patient and public participation and communications. Last year he was appointed National Information Director and chair of the new National Information Board in health and care.

In April, England became the first country in the world to enable citizens to book online appointments with their GP, order prescriptions and access their medical record. In July, more than 70% of our ambulance services were able to access GP records in real time in emergency situations. Last month the National Information Board launched an initiative which will support all parts of the health and care service to be paper free at point of care by 2020.

Tim said: ‘It has been an enormous privilege to work with such talented and committed colleagues at NHS England and across the wider health and care service. Together we have made the case for a digitally-enabled NHS in which patients are encouraged to participate. Over the last three years we have made significant progress on turning that aspiration into reality.

‘Our NHS must support patients, citizens and those who serve them with much better access to the information revolution that has transformed so much of the rest of our lives. This is a human imperative: to put data and technology to work to empower people to take control, when they want to and shape the care they need.

‘The decision to leave has been one of the hardest I’ve made but I’m going to fulfil an ambition that will come as no surprise to those who know me well – to develop next generation digital services for patients and professionals that I hope will help all of us take more control of our health and care. New technologies – particularly the advent of genomics and personalised medicine – offer unprecedented opportunity to transform health outcomes.’

Simon Stevens, chief executive, NHS England said: ‘Over the past three years Tim has brought his infectious energy and creative expertise to the vital drive for open, transparent and technology-enabled health services. It’s no surprise that other countries now want to emulate that success, so as the NHS moves into the implementation phase of the strategy Tim has helped craft, we wish him every success as he shifts gear to working in Australia and internationally.’

Tim will be leaving NHS England at the end of December to work outside the UK, based in Australia. He will then also observe the customary six month ‘cooling off period’ until July 1st 2016 before engaging in any business activity with the NHS.