Amanda Pritchard, CEO of the National Health Service (NHS) England, announced on Tuesday that she will be stepping down at the end of March.
“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the NHS through the most difficult period in its history,” Pritchard wrote on X, announcing her “hugely difficult decision” to stand down at the end of this financial year.
Pritchard has been the chief executive of NHS England since 2021, previously serving as chief operating officer from 2019.
Her decision comes less than a month after two House of Commons committees criticized NHS leadership, including Pritchard, for lacking the “drive and dynamism” needed for an overhaul of the health service.
The Labour government has announced its intention to develop a ten-year health plan to create a health service “fit for the future.” The plan includes reforms to the NHS and is due to be published in the Spring of 2025.
British Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting accepted Pritchard’s resignation on the same day. According to the NHS, James Mackey will be taking over as transitional CEO of NHS England for the next month, before formally taking up the post in April.