The government鈥檚 director of digital policy Matthew Gould has been appointed the new CEO of NHSX, the body responsible for digital transformation in the NHS.
A former government director for cyber security, he will join NHSX in the summer to coincide with its July launch.
In another former role as British ambassador to Israel, he set up the UK Israel tech hub, which laid the foundations for the UK and Israel鈥檚 tech relationship.
Gould will have responsibility for setting the national agenda on technology across all health and social care organisations and be accountable to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens.
鈥淥ur single goal will be to improve the care that everyone in the country gets by making sure that both staff and patients have the technology they need,鈥� said Gould.
鈥淚 will know I have succeeded if in two years we have reduced the crazy amount of time that clinicians spend inputting and accessing patient information; if we have given patients the tools so they can access information and services directly from their phones; and if we have started to build a system in which patient information can be securely accessed from wherever it is needed, ensuring safer and better care as patients move around the system, and saving patients from having to tell every doctor and nurse their story over and over again.鈥�
The Department of Health and Social Care said 鈥榙igital experts鈥� from the organisation will be 鈥渆mbedded in national mental health and cancer teams to help clinicians and policymakers improve patient experience through the power of technology鈥�.
NHSX will also recruit a chief technology officer in the summer who will be responsible for designing and delivering a new web-based system for the NHS and social care.
Hancock said: 鈥淚 want to invite the very best talent to join NHSX. If you鈥檙e an innovator and you want to serve our society, I want to welcome you to join the growing band of HealthTech pioneers at NHSX who are going to be on a mission to transform harness technology to save lives.
鈥淲e want to invite brilliant people from Government, NHS and industry will work closely with clinicians to cut through bureaucracy 鈥� meaning patients get access to the best innovations more quickly.
鈥淣HSX is one of the most exciting things happening in the UK. It鈥檚 cutting edge, it鈥檚 mission driven, and it鈥檚 about harnessing the best.
鈥淭his is just the beginning of the tech revolution, building on our NHS Long Term Plan to create leading health and care service 鈥� for us all.鈥�