Former Tesco CEO appointed as new NHS Digital chair

  • 28 July 2020
Former Tesco CEO appointed as new NHS Digital chair

A former CEO of Tesco’s online outlet has been appointed as the new chair of NHS Digital.

Laura Wade-Gery, who previously served as the chief executive of Tesco.com, has been appointed as chair of NHS Digital, succeeding Noel Gordon after he finished his four-year term.

Her appointment, according by a notice published by the Department of Health and Social Care, will be for a period of 7 months from 1 September 2020, ending on 31 March 2021.

Sarah Wilkinson, chief executive of NHS Digital, said: “I look forward to working with Laura as chair, and I’m sure she will help us consolidate the huge progress we’ve made in accelerating digital transformation across primary and secondary care, research and life sciences and citizen health technology, as well as supporting us in delivering the ever-growing number of new projects with which the NHS has the confidence in NHS Digital to entrust us.”

On top of her new role, which has a remuneration of £63,000 per year, Wade-Gery is also a non-executive director of NHS England/Improvement (NHSE/I).

She is also currently a Non-Executive Director of John Lewis Partnership Board, British Land Company and Immunocore Limited. She is a trustee of the Royal Opera House, a director of Snape Maltings Trading Limited and a member of the Government Digital Strategy Advisory Board.

Part of her new role as chair of NHS Digital, which has a time commitment of two to three days, will be to lead a review to determine the critical capabilities and digital operating model across NHS Digital, NHSX and NHSE/I needed to drive the digitally enabled wider system transformation envisaged in the NHS Long Term Plan.

It is hoped this will build on the closer collaboration between NHS Digital, NHSE/I and NHSX.

Wade-Gery’s other roles include six years at Marks & Spencer Group in where she headed up their multi-channel e-commerce.

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3 Comments

  • Pile ’em high; sell ’em cheap.

    Sums up the NHS attitude.

  • Every little helps. A priceless comment Gerard lol.

    However, I wonder whether this appointment makes sense when you think that the NHS needs to provide a personalised, consumer-friendly service, that has operational efficiency.

    Let’s take it one step further.

    We know that we need a preventative health and care model that is universally accessible. One that is affordable, which informed and sustained by citizen engagement with healthy life-style choices.

    So, someone with retail business experience should have valuable, new perspectives.

  • I guess every little helps.

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