Another new IT role at NHS England

NHS England has created yet another technology focused management role, with a purview over digital roadmaps.

In a job advertisement post online, the commissioning group had created a new role of “director of digital experience”.

The new director will be expected to “drive forward the NHS digital product roadmap with measurable results”.

“To succeed you’ll need to have demonstrable and very significant senior commercial experience and knowledge in the deployment of digital technologies and channels to yield major cost improvements and enhanced end user outcomes.”

This include identifying opportunities across the NHS where digitisation will “dramatically improve patient outcomes or enable organisations you will help enable better prevention, enhanced outcome measures and financial sustainability”.

Specific responsibilities will include overview of NHS Choices and projects to personalise healthcare using digital tools.

The role will also work closely with the Department of Health and Health and Social Care Information Centre, soon to be NHS Digital.

The new role is part of a wider shift in NHS England's senior Health IT leadership, following the departure of Tim Kelsey. Kelsey, who was director of patients and information, left to take up a job in Australia late last year.

The “director of digital experience” will report to the chief information and technology officer, a role that was originally envisaged as replacing Kelsey. However, six months down the track that CITO role also remains vacant, after the first round of candidates failed to impress.

Meanwhile, Matthew Swindells, who recently started as NHS England’s national director for commissioning operations and information, will also be more involved in IT than his predecessor.

Swindells, previously an executive at supplier Cerner, has a long history of involvement in Health IT both within and outside the NHS.

The new CITO will report to Swindells, while the digital experience director will report to the CITO.

Applications for the new role close on Friday, 24 June.