Julian Kelly, NHS England’s chief financial officer, is to step down in a matter of weeks as part of an overhaul to bring NHSE under closer government control, HSJ has revealed.
Mr Kelly, who is also deputy chief executive, is announcing his departure today. CEO Amanda Pritchard announced two weeks ago that she would go at the end of the month, and medical director Stephen Powis is retiring in the summer. Chair Richard Meddings also leaves this month, as will Mr Kelly.
The CFO is understood to have already been planning his departure for this year but it has been accelerated by the arrival of Sir Jim Mackey as interim CEO. Other board departures are expected imminently.
Mr Kelly — previously a director general at the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury — has told colleagues it is the right time to go, given the direction of travel towards closer working with the government.
Wes Streeting, the health and social care secretary, wants to effectively combine much of NHSE with the Department of Health and Social Care, as part of a major restructure that will include further job cuts.
Date: 10 March