NHS England has placed a job advert for an interim chief information officer (CIO) ahead of the departure of John Quinn.
Quinn announced in January 2025 that he will leave the role at the end of March, after almost two years in post.
The advert, posted on 10 February 2025, says that NHSE is seeking a CIO “to lead the provision of digital capabilities on an interim basis, including being responsible for critical national infrastructure, for both the wider health system and NHS England.”
It adds: “The CIO will lead and coach a staff of digital and technology professions, creating a high-performing team, and position NHS England as a preferred digital and technology employer, whilst also implementing technology-oriented best practices such as Agile Ways of Working, DevOps and Cloud-native architectures across the organisation.”
The 12-month fixed term contract has been advertised with a salary of £161,601 per annum.
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 after Simon Bolton, former chief executive of NHS Digital and interim CIO designate at NHSE, stepped down from the role.
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.
Meanwhile, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHSE has hinted at a change to Vin Diwakar’s role as interim director of transformation.
Speaking at the Health and Social Care Select Committee at the House of Commons on 29 January 2025, Pritchard said: “The opportunity clearly now, particularly with the new government in place, is to make sure that between us and them we’re confident that we’ve got the right leadership arrangements in place across NHS England and the department so that we’re aligning with the vision from the 10 year plan”.
