NHSE South East announces the appointment of Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery as NHS England South East Regional Chair, following an open and competitive appointment process.

Sir Jonathan joins us from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he has been Chair since April 2019.

As set out in the Model Region Blueprint, as Regional Chair Sir Jonathan will provide visible, independent non executive leadership across the region, working with the Regional Director to develop a coherent strategy to deliver against the 10 year health plan, ensuring improved life expectancy and quality of life, consistently high quality and efficient services and reduced inequalities in health outcomes.   The Regional Chair will work with Provider and ICB Chairs to deliver against that strategy and ensure high performing Boards and work with the regional executive team to support improvement and intervention.

Sir Jonathan brings extensive experience of board‑level leadership, and will bring a wealth of knowledge from his previous Health and Care roles. Previous chair roles have included a community trust, specialist mental health and learning disability trust, strategic health authority, and primary care trust. Nationally, he has chaired the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards, Human Genetics Commission, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and Health Research Authority. He was a member of the Morecambe Bay Investigation. During Covid he was co-chair of the Moral and Ethical Advisory Group. He currently chairs the Ethics Advisory Committee of Genomics England and the Technical Expert Group on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

Sir Jonathan is Professor of Health Care Law at University College London. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, honorary fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and honorary fellow of the Faculty of Public Health. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to bioethics and health care law. He lives in Hampshire.

The Regional Chair role is central to strengthening leadership across the NHS at a time of significant change, supporting the delivery of the NHS’s long‑term priorities including improving health and reducing health inequalities. shifting care out of hospitals and improving productivity for example through digital transformation.

The Regional Chair role is central to strengthening leadership across the NHS at a time of significant change, supporting the delivery of the NHS’s long‑term priorities including shifting care closer to communities, improving productivity through digital transformation, and reducing health inequalities.

Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, Regional Chair for NHS England in the South East, said:

“I care deeply about the NHS and have served on NHS Boards for most of my working life. I am delighted to be joining the regional team at a critical time. I look forward to working with many existing colleagues across the South East including Chairs, leaders and partners to strengthen governance, support improvement, and help deliver better outcomes for the communities we serve.”

Anne Eden, Regional Director for NHS England in the South East said:

“This appointment strengthens leadership across the region. Jonathan brings the experience, independence and judgement needed to support Chairs and systems, and to reinforce public confidence in the stewardship of NHS services.”

Dr Penny Dash, Chair for NHS England said:

“Regional chairs will play a critical role in strengthening leadership and governance across the NHS to improve health and the quality and productivity of services. I’m delighted we have been able to attract a high-calibre group to take on these roles, each bringing the experience, independence and commitment to public service needed to support Chairs, systems and regional teams at a time of significant change and opportunity. I look forward to working with my new colleagues as we continue to deliver the reforms set out in the 10 Year Health Plan and improve services and outcomes for patients and communities.”

Sir Jonathan will take up post on 1 April 2026 for an initial 3‑year term, working part‑time in line with the non‑executive nature of the role.