Amanda Pritchard

Last updated

Amanda Pritchard
Amanda Pritchard official photo.jpg
Official portrait, c. 2021
Chief Executive of NHS England
In office
1 August 2021 –31 March 2025
Education Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Alma mater St Anne's College, Oxford
Signature Amanda Pritchard signature.png
Amanda Pritchard's voice
Pritchard speaks at a government press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic
Recorded 30 November 2021

Amanda Pritchard (born May 1976) was recently the Chief Executive of NHS England from 1 August 2021 until 31 March 2025. Previously, Pritchard was chief operating officer of NHS England and chief executive of NHS Improvement from 2019 to 2021. [1] [2] [3] She was chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust from January 2016 to July 2019, having been acting chief executive from October 2015 to January 2016. [1] [4]

Contents

Early and personal life

Pritchard was born in May 1976 in Somerset, [5] [6] the daughter of John Pritchard, later a Church of England bishop. [7] She grew up in County Durham, attending Durham Johnston Comprehensive School. [5] She graduated from St Anne's College at the University of Oxford with a degree in modern history. Whilst a student, she was the librarian of The Oxford Union. [8]

Pritchard is married[ citation needed ] with three children. [4]

Career

Pritchard joined the NHS Management Training Scheme [9] in 1997 [3] and has worked for the NHS for her entire career.

In 2002, she became a manager at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. [10] [11] [12] From 2005 to 2006, Pritchard was the health team leader of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit under Tony Blair, [13] before returning to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2006 as deputy chief executive, aged 29. [3] [10] [14] Six years later she moved to Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust as chief operating officer and was appointed as its first-ever female chief executive in 2015. [13]

On 5 June 2019, [3] Pritchard moved to NHS England and NHS Improvement as COO of NHS England and CEO of NHS Improvement. Effectively the deputy CEO of the NHS, [15] she led it operationally through COVID-19, the vaccine rollout, and its recovery, including service transformation, digitisation, and patient care improvements. [16]

Long seen as the frontrunner to replace Simon Stevens as CEO of the NHS, [17] it was announced on 28 July 2021 that Pritchard would be appointed as the next chief executive of NHS England; she took up the post on 1 August 2021 as the first woman in the role. [18] On 3 August 2021 [19] [20] she was replaced as CEO of NHS Improvement by Stephen Powis on an interim basis. [21]

On 14 December 2021 she joined Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Sajid Javid in calling for volunteers to come forward to help with the COVID vaccine booster campaign. [22]

On 25 September 2023 Pritchard was appointed to the National Theatre Board. [23]

The Labour Government elected in July 2024 declared it had "full confidence" in Pritchard as head of the NHS. [24] She has spoken about the need to address the NHS's 'productivity challenges' and emergency winter pressures. [25]

On 25 February 2025 Pritchard announced her resignation as CEO of NHS England following meetings with Health Secretary Wes Streeting and criticism from several committees of the House of Commons. [26]

References

  1. 1 2 "Amanda Pritchard". NHS Improvement . Archived from the original on 14 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Amanda Pritchard appointed NHS' COO and Chief Executive of NHS Improvement". Hospital Times. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Amanda Pritchard appointed NHS' Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive of NHS Improvement" (Press release). NHS England. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Speakers | Amanda Pritchard". Healthcare Financial Management Association . Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 "CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF THE SCHOOLS' MACE". English-Speaking Union . 15 May 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Sylvester, Rachel; Lay, Kat (13 January 2023). "'We've had 13,000 in hospital who didn't need to be there — they were fit': Amanda Pritchard interview" . The Times . London. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Dickinson, Katie (28 July 2021). "New NHS boss is ex Durham schoolgirl and former Bishop of Jarrow's daughter". Chronicle Live . Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Amanda Pritchard appointed NHS Chief Executive". Oxfordshire CCG (Press release). 30 July 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  9. ↑ https://graduates.nhs.uk/
  10. 1 2 "Amanda Pritchard | Chief Operating Officer, NHS England and NHS Improvement". Healthcare Financial Management Association. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Amanda Pritchard | Chief Operating Officer, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust". Bloomberg News . Archived from the original on 30 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Trust Board Minutes December 2005" (PDF). Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2011.
  13. 1 2 Neville, Sarah (28 July 2021). "Amanda Pritchard named new head of NHS England" . Financial Times . Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "Chief Executive set for new challenge". Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Press release). 3 January 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Daily Insight: Making the cut". Health Service Journal . 6 July 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  16. ↑ Jackson, Jasmine (28 July 2021). "Amanda Pritchard due to be confirmed as NHS chief executive". National Health Executive. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Malnick, Edward (10 July 2021). "Sajid Javid: tax rise could be 'practical and obvious' solution to social care crisis" . The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "Amanda Pritchard appointed NHS Chief Executive". NHS England (Press release). 28 July 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  19. ↑ West, Dave (4 August 2021). "NHSE names interim chief operating officer". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  20. ↑ "About us | NHS executive group". NHS England. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "Board members". NHS England. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  22. ↑ "Prime Minister and Head of the NHS call for volunteers to support National Booster Effort". gov.uk (Press release). 14 December 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "Amanda Pritchard appointed to the National Theatre Board". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  24. ↑ Illman, James; McLellan, Alastair (1 July 2024). "Exclusive: Streeting has 'total confidence' in Amanda Pritchard". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  25. ↑ Crowther, Zoe (8 December 2024). "NHS Boss Amanda Pritchard: There Will Be "Unprecedented Demand" This Winter". Politics Home. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  26. ↑ Pym, Hugh and Roberts, Michelle (25 February 2025). "NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard stepping down". BBC News . Archived from the original on 25 February 2025. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
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