Julian Hartley, a highly experienced leader, who is currently Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, has been asked to lead the new workforce implementation plan for the NHS.

Julian has been asked to lead this important piece of work by our Chair Baroness Dido Harding, following the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan last week.

The programme will bring together professional representatives and other bodies to build an implementation plan to deliver the vision set out in the Long Term Plan.

To do this, leaders will take an inclusive approach and establish a national workforce group, which will include senior representatives from Health Education England, NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, Royal Colleges and other bodies, so that the plan addresses frontline workforce priorities across the system.

‘The way we recruit, develop, support and lead our people across the NHS is one of the most crucial elements of our Long Term Plan. I am keen to ensure that we develop the workforce implementation plan as inclusively and openly as possible and I am thrilled that Julian, with his vast experience of leading and working in the NHS and of complex change management, will be working with me on it.’

Baroness Dido Harding, Chair, NHS Improvement

‘I am delighted to have been asked to lead this work. The delivery of the 21st century model of care described in the NHS Long Term Plan requires us to have a highly positive, engaged, improvement-focused workforce in a culture where everyone can develop and thrive. Only with great leadership and staff across the NHS can we deliver our ambitions for patients and I look forward to playing my part.’

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and National Executive Lead for the NHS’s workforce implementation plan

‘I’m delighted that Julian will be working closely with Baroness Harding on the NHS workforce implementation plan. This is such an important issue and he brings a wealth of experience to the role. We’ve got to get this right — it’s a pivotal part of the Long Term Plan and will ensure we have a sustainable workforce that is supported, valued and respected.’

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The workforce implementation plan will convene experts to work together on the most important workforce challenges facing the NHS, including:

• future medical and dental workforce chaired by Professor Stephen Powis
• future clinical workforce – chaired by Chief Nursing Officer Ruth May; with subgroups led by Suzanne Rastrick on Allied Health Professionals, Dr Keith Ridge on Pharmacists and Professor Sue Hill on Healthcare Scientists
• making the NHS the best place to work, chaired by Dr Navina Evans
• leadership, development and talent management within the NHS, chaired by Peter Homa CBE
• technology skills and enablement, chaired by Sir David Behan

Julian will serve in this role on a full-time basis until the end of March 2019 before returning to his chief executive position within Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Yvette Oade, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Executive will step up to lead the trust in the interim.