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He said he it had been an “immense privilege” to do his job and that he had always been “exceptionally proud to work in the NHS… while stepping down from this role, I remain passionate and committed to improving the health of patients and improving the experience of staff.”
Sir Stephen is understood to have told Ms Pritchard in January of his decision, but it risks leaving a gap at the top of NHS England, after she announced last week that she was leaving at the end of the month.
At the time the health secretary Wes Streeting insisted that her departure was amicable.
But it comes as NHS England, which has been at arms length from the department of health for more than 10 years, comes under closer ministerial oversight.
Mr Streeting is under intense pressure to improve the NHS, one of the government’s key priorities, including reducing extremely lengthy waiting lists and making it easier to see a GP.
The new boss of NHS England Jim Mackey is soon set to publish a new 10 year plan to reform and improve the NHS, designed to build a health service “fit for the future.”
Sir Stephen became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic, regularly appearing at Downing Street press conferences and witnessing the delivery of the first ever Covid-19 jab outside a clinical trial to grandmother Maggie Keenan on December 8, 2020.
Commenting on his departure, England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said he had been a “remarkable clinical leader in the NHS during the most difficult crisis in its history. His calm, evidence-based advice both to the public in the media and in private helped the NHS meet the huge challenges it faced. We are all exceptionally fortunate he was in post over this period.”
Mr Streeting paid tribute to him, saying: “Steve has provided outstanding clinical leadership to the NHS over the last seven years, including during the biggest health emergency our country has faced in modern history. His knowledge, professionalism, and guidance helped the NHS rise to the challenges created by the pandemic.
“I would like to thank Steve, not only for his pivotal role in the Covid vaccine roll out, but for all his work as medical director, including overseeing the team’s work in the creation of the national patient safety strategy.”
In a statement confirming his departure, Sir Stephen added: “My time in post has been dominated by the pandemic and its ongoing impact – I will forever be humbled by the extraordinary work of staff throughout the NHS to the greatest health emergency in a century and I am very proud of the support and advice I was personally able to give to staff, ministers and the public.”
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