NHS England is today announcing three senior appointments to lead key aspects of its work implementing the NHS Five Year Forward View. All three posts were publicly advertised and filled following open competition.

Pauline Philip has been appointed as National Urgent and Emergency Care Director. Pauline will provide national leadership to ensure the delivery of the Urgent and Emergency Care review and associated elements of the NHS Five Year Forward View. She will work closely with Professor Keith Willett, Director of Acute Care, and with colleagues across NHS Improvement. Ms Philip is Chief Executive of Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Foundation Trust, and will retain this role while seconded to NHS England. A nurse by background, Pauline has previously also worked for the World Health Organisation, has an international track record in patient safety, and has led the successful performance of Luton’s hospital services for a number of years.

Anu Singh has been appointed as Director of Patient and Public Participation and Insight. She has already begun her work developing our partnership with the people who use NHS services, and helping us interpret what they think and feel of the services provided. Anu joined NHS England from Staffordshire County Council where, as Head of Business Improvement, she was responsible for the commissioning of mental health, social care, community safety and education. She is also a Non-Executive Director of the Whittington Integrated Care NHS Trust in north London, and has previously worked for the London Borough of Harrow and Birmingham City Council.

Matthew Swindells has been appointed as National Director for Commissioning Operations and Information, succeeding Dame Barbara Hakin who retires at the end of December. Matthew has 18 years operational and senior management experience in the NHS, and is currently managing director for population health with health technology company Cerner. He has previously been a frontline NHS manager, including chief executive of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, and at Heatherwood and Wexham Park hospitals and Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals. Subsequently he was a Director General at the Department of Health and led the health team at the Cabinet Office.

He began his NHS career as a graduate trainee in the North West. He is a former chair of the British Computing Society Health Section and chair of the charitable trustees of Imperial College NHS Trust. On re-joining the NHS in late Spring, Mr Swindells will divest himself of any financial interests in his current employer, and recuse himself from any official dealings with them for the subsequent 12 months after taking up post. He will be paid the same as his predecessor, Dr Hakin.

The appointing panel was chaired by NHS England’s chair Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, who said: “We are delighted that Matthew will be returning to the NHS at this important moment, as we begin to drive major improvements in key areas such as cancer, mental health and primary care services, and the whole Health Service moves to implement the Five Year Forward View.”

Matthew Swindells said: “After five stimulating years working to improve health care around the world, I’m really pleased to be coming back to help lead the NHS at this ‘high stakes’ moment in its history.”

Richard Barker, NHS England’s regional director for the North, will be Interim National Director for Commissioning Operations and Information from January until Mr Swindells takes up post in late Spring. Dr Anne Rainsberry, Regional Director (London), will support Richard in providing additional oversight and leadership for the EPRR function across the country. Dr Paul Watson, Regional Director (Midlands and East) will provide this additional support to the central Specialised Commissioning teams, until Dr Jonathan Fielden takes on his post full time as the new Director of Specialised Commissioning in March 2016.