Three of our executive directors have announced they will be stepping down from their roles.

Steve Russell, Executive Regional Managing Director for London, Lyn Simpson, Executive Regional Managing Director for the North, and Adam Sewell-Jones, Executive Director of Improvement, will be leaving NHS Improvement.

The departures of Steve, Lyn and Adam come as we continue to develop our plans with NHS England to integrate our national and regional functions and establish a single NHS executive group, which will be led by our Chief Executive Ian Dalton and NHS England’s Chief Executive Simon Stevens. The first appointments to this group have also been announced today.

Unless explicitly agreed otherwise, members of our current executive team will continue in their posts until 31 March 2019.

‘I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Adam, Lyn and Steve for their leadership of the NHS and at NHS Improvement.

Adam has driven forward NHS Improvement’s agenda on improvement, leadership and culture change and has built a solid foundation for aspects of our work that will become ever more important. His knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the frontline NHS have been powerful and I am very pleased that his intention is to return to a leadership role in the sector.

Steve has provided expert and thoughtful leadership in one of the most complex parts of the NHS in England. His collaborative work with the CEO community in London has supported the development of healthcare across the capital. He has also played a national leadership role on important aspects of NHS Improvement’s work to support whistleblowers, to improve care for elective patients and to secure the leaders for NHS hospitals across the country.

Lyn and I have worked together for many years. She is a true NHS professional having worked at every level from the clinical frontline to senior leadership positions. Lyn has played an important role in supporting the development of care across the largest region in the NHS and has used her extensive experience to drive improvements for patients in the north.

I wish Adam, Lyn and Steve every success for the future.’

Ian Dalton, Chief Executive, NHS Improvement

‘It has been a privilege to hold a national role, initially with Monitor and then with NHS Improvement, supporting trusts to deliver high quality care and build increased capability and capacity for continuous quality improvement. My longer-term plan has always been to return to a role closer to service delivery.

The integration programme provides a timely opportunity to pass on this agenda to someone else at an exciting time for the further development of improvement across the whole NHS.’

Adam Sewell-Jones, Executive Director of Improvement, NHS Improvement

‘After spending the last few years working at national and regional level, I am now looking to move into a more frontline role drawing on my experience as both a clinician and manager.

‘In the immediate future, I will be focusing on the transition with the regional directors and supporting our staff through the changes. I have enjoyed my work with both the NHS Trust Development Authority and NHS Improvement and I hope to be able to maintain the relationships I have been able to make with a fantastic group of CEOs and chairs in the north.’

Lyn Simpson, Executive Regional Managing Director for the North, NHS Improvement

‘It has been a privilege to work with the NHS chairs, chief executives and STP leads, as well as their wider teams, supporting the healthcare needs of London for the last two and a half years. I am very grateful to my hard-working team and colleagues within NHS Improvement and NHS England for what we have achieved collectively.

It has been 21 years since I joined the NHS as a management trainee and as my heart is working on the frontline, the time is right for me to serve the NHS in other ways. The new regional director roles offer the NHS fantastic opportunities and so, I wish all my colleagues and my successor the best of luck for the future.’

Steve Russell, Executive Regional Managing Director for London, NHS Improvement