Will Smart’s departure confirmed for end of September

The CEO of NHSX has confirmed Will Smart will leave the organisation in September, after Digital Health News exclusively broke the news last month.

Matthew Gould tweeted on 12 July to personally thank Smart for his work as the CIO for Health and Care, adding it had been “real pleasure” working with him.

In June, Digital Health reported that after three years in the role, Smart was “set to move on” as part of a wholesale shake-up of national NHS IT leadership, resulting from the merger of NHS England and NHS Improvement and creation of NHSX, the new agency responsible for digital.

Responding to Gould, Smart said: “After three years, now feels the right time to move on”.

He added: “We’ve proven that the NHS can do tech and through the NHS Long Term Plan, we’ll drive forward digital transformation for the benefit of patients.”

Smart also threw his support behind NHSX and Gould, wishing his colleagues “every success”.

After 3 years, now feels the right time to move on. We've proven that the NHS can do tech & through the #NHSLongTermPlan, we'll drive forward digital transformation for the benefit of patients. I wholeheartedly support NHSX & wish Matthew Gould & all my colleagues every success

— Will Smart (@wilsmart) July 12, 2019

Prior to becoming the national NHS CIO, Smart was CIO at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust for six years.

As NHS CIO, Smart has been most closely associated with the Global Digital Exemplar programme (including the Royal Free) and the LHCRE programme, both high-profile policies championed by Matthew Swindells.

Smart was chair of judging panel for the Digital Health Awards 2019 earlier this month. He is due to speak at the Digital Health Summer Schools on 19 July.