Another lesson from history: moving on at the right time

The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on chapters closed and new chapters opening up. And in this article, I am reflecting on a chapter in my life that will soon be coming to a close: my time doing what is probably the single best job in health policy as Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust think tank. Today I am announcing my plan to stand down as Chief Executive later this year and the beginning of a search, commencing early next week, for a successor.

So why am I leaving this wonderful organisation? Well, my almost 40 years of studying policy and management in the health service has taught me a valuable lesson that I feel I ought to heed myself: Chief Executives of organisations often stay too long, and very few step down when things are going well.

And things are going well for the Nuffield Trust. We are generating more impactful and topical work than ever before, our finances are sound, our insights and analysis are being picked up by policy-makers, the media and in parliament in a way I could only have dreamed of when I started this role in 2014. And our work is as impressive in its breadth as it is in its depth: we are looking at some of the biggest issues facing health and care – from the many existential threats facing NHS performance to the future of the social care market.

Crucial to this are our exceptional people. One of my proudest achievements at the Nuffield Trust has been to foster a culture of innovation and creativity, bringing on some of the brightest and most talented researchers, comms professionals and operational staff I have had the pleasure of working with. These are the people responsible for generating our impact, disseminating our work and tackling some of the thorniest public policy issues I have encountered.

My own interests in international health systems, care in remote and rural areas, urgent and emergency care, and the ways to foster system change have underpinned a lot of our work. But it is always enhanced and taken further by colleagues with backgrounds in research, policy analysis and development, medicine, and communications. Now is the time for me to step back, giving someone else the chance to carry out this rewarding and fulfilling role.

I only wish my nine years at the helm of the Nuffield Trust coincided with an equally positive time for the health and social care systems in the UK. These are facing a crisis like no other I have seen in my career. The triple whammy of Brexit, Covid-19 and the worsening levels of inequality in this country have made the already sobering conundrum of how to deliver high-quality health and care to an ageing, growing population even more complex. My successor will have plenty to grapple with.

And what of my next move? I will be pursuing a portfolio career, providing insight and expertise through my associations with the World Health Organization and other institutions, including I hope as a continued contributor to the Nuffield Trust. I am also going to be supporting the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the development of a health policy and leadership institute. I will remain in post until later on this year and will support our excellent Chair Martin Marshall and Board of Trustees to find the right leader to succeed me and ensure a smooth handover.

I have no doubt we will attract the very best: the Nuffield Trust is a fantastic organisation to lead.