Movers and Shakers news roundup

Our latest Movers and Shakers roundup includes a new role for former health secretary Alan Milburn and the abrupt departure of TPP’s long-serving clinical director, Dr John Parry.

Former Labour MP Alan Milburn, who served as health secretary between 1999 and 2003, has been appointed lead non-executive member to the board of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

He is currently chancellor of Lancaster University, chair of the Social Mobility Foundation and runs his own consultancy firm AM Strategy Ltd.

Richard Samuel, former NHS England director and NHS chief executive, has joined conversational AI vendor to the health sector EBO as director of healthcare strategy.

Chris Thomas will join the system strategy unit at the DHSC on secondment for 18 months.

He will be a strategy adviser in the unit, which will work jointly with NHS England on the government’s 10 year health plan, which is due to be published in May 2025.

Dr John Parry has departed TPP after 19 years at the company, where he played a key role in the original creation of the SystmOne software.

Parry was clinical director from 2005 until his abrupt departure in November 2024. In a post on LinkedIn, he said there was “sadly no opportunity to say farewell” and announced that Ed Parry has also left the firm.

The King’s Fund has appointed Siva Anandaciva as its director of policy, events and partnerships. He takes on the role having served as the think tank’s chief analyst since 2017.

Prior to joining The King’s Fund, Anandaciva held senior analyst roles at NHS Providers and the DHSC. From January 2025 he will also join Barts Health NHS Trust as an associate non-executive director.

Derrick Pearce has been appointed as chief officer at East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, having been interim chief officer since July 2024.

Janelle Holmes and Sir David Henshaw, chief executive and chair respectively of Wirral University Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, will now also head up Wirral Community Health and Care Trust with immediate effect.

Sir Norman Lamb is retiring after five years in post as chair of South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust. He will leave the provider in March 2025.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has announced that John Grinnell will take over permanently as chief executive after a period as interim following the departure of Louise Shepherd as who left to become an NHS England regional director.

Mark Taylor announced on LinkedIn that he is starting a new position as interim director of IT and digital at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Sam Neville also revealed on LinkedIn that she is joining Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust as associate director of clinical applications and chief nursing information officer.

More appointments and departures can be found on Digital Health Intelligence.