• Ian Dalton has announced he stepping down as chief executive of NHS Improvement.
• Simon Stevens, NHS England chief executive, is to lead both organisations.
• It is reported that a new chief operating officer is to be appointed and formally designated as NHS Improvement chief executive.
  
  

Commenting on today’s announcement of the departure of Ian Dalton Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said:

“If the intention is to bring NHS England and NHS Improvement closer together, it is logical to move to a single senior leadership structure across both organisations, led by a single chief executive.

If the intention is to bring NHS England and NHS Improvement closer together, it is logical to move to a single senior leadership structure across both organisations, led by a single chief executive.

“Ian Dalton has shown the importance of senior arms length body leaders understanding the needs of those responsible for frontline service delivery and supporting them to provide outstanding patient care.

“Ian’s work to secure a realistic financial settlement for providers in 2019/20, create a more sustainable financial architecture and develop an implementation framework for the long term plan have all been good examples of the arms length body support the frontline needs.

“Provider leaders will want to thank Ian for the excellent work he has done and support he has given. They will also wish him well for the future.”