John Quinn to leave NHS England CIO role

John Quinn, chief information officer (CIO) at NHS England, has announced that he will leave the role at the end of March, after almost two years.

In an email, seen by Digital Health News, Quinn said: “I have decided to leave NHSE on 31st March 2025.

“There are a mix of professional and personal considerations that have been factors in my decision. In making my decision now, I think it gives the NHS an opportunity to refresh as it goes through planning and prioritisation in readiness for the implementing the next Spending Review.

“This role is the biggest CIO role in the public sector, overseeing one of the largest technology estates in Europe. To deliver the outcomes we know we can deliver for patients and the workforce requires changes to our operating environment.

“I hope that with my departure, there is an opportunity to reflect on the scope and status of the team, the CIO role, and the digital profession within the NHS.”

He added that the decision was partially due to family caring commitments which “will require a change in working pattern and location for me for a while to come” and that he would continue to lead the team as it transitions to new arrangements.

“But for now, we still have critical and urgent work to do in this quarter as we transition leadership.

“Protecting delivery will remain the most important thing of all. That’s our job,” Quinn said.

Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHSE, announced the news in a LinkedIn post, published on 6 January 2025.

“John has decided to embark on a new chapter in his life, prioritising a reduced working pattern and taking on greater caring responsibilities.

“He will be leaving NHS England at the end of March 2025. While we will certainly miss John’s leadership, we fully support his decision and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

“John’s contributions to NHS England have been invaluable. His leadership of the Digital team through the merger, his dedication to delivering a major portfolio, and his commitment to building strong relationships with the government have been truly remarkable. We are enormously grateful for his commitment and vision.”

Diwakar added that NHSE will be conducting a search for a permanent CIO and will put in place interim arrangements “in the coming weeks”.

“Looking ahead, this presents an exciting opportunity to bring in new talent and perspectives to the CIO role,” Diwakar said. “This is a time of dynamic growth and innovation for digital technologies in the NHS and we are confident that we will continue to build on our successes with the same energy and dedication that John has inspired.”

Quinn, who was previously executive director of IT operations and enterprise services at NHS Digital, took the role of CIO for NHSE in June 2023, following a lengthy recruitment process.

He took over as interim CIO in January 2023 after Simon Bolton, former chief executive of NHS Digital and interim CIO designate at NHSE, stepped down from the role.