The man in charge of Newcastle’s hospitals is to take over as chief executive of NHS England.
Sir James Mackey will temporarily step up to the health service’s top job, after the shock announcement on Tuesday that Amanda Pritchard would be stepping down at the end of March.
Since replacing Dame Jackie Daniel at the head of the Newcastle Hospitals trust, Sir James has been tasked with leading a turnaround at the Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary following a damning Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report.
The watchdog downgraded the trust from ‘outstanding’ to ‘requires improvement’ in January 2024, just weeks after he took office, amid concerns about a “significant deterioration” in leadership and bullying allegations following an inspection the previous year.
Reshaping the NHS
Sir James, who will replace Pritchard on a secondment basis, said that it would be “an honour to lead the service through the next phase as we radically reshape the role of NHS England and work with the Government to build an NHS that is fit for the future”.
He added that he was “sad” to step away from Newcastle Hospitals “as we have successfully tackled some difficult issues and made significant improvements” and that he looked forward to rejoining the trust “in due course”.
In an announcement made to Newcastle Hospitals staff, Sir James wrote: “I have been asked by Government if I would lead the NHS through its transition from the current crisis to getting back on its feet, as transition CEO of NHS England, on a secondment basis with immediate effect.
“You will know that my heart has always been in the North East, and I am enjoying working with you all here in Newcastle. So this has given me quite a lot of heartache and I hope that you understand that I feel that I really cannot reject such a request. I also feel a deep sense of duty to help however I can, to get the NHS nationally back on a more stable footing.”
Rob Harrison, the trust’s deputy chief executive, will take over as acting chief executive during Sir James’ secondment.
Sir James was previously chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare.
He also served as acting interim chief operating officer of NHS England for a period in 2023.
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said that he was “delighted that Jim Mackey has agreed to step up to provide new leadership for a new era for the NHS”.
He added: “He knows the NHS inside out, can see how it needs to change, and will work with the speed and urgency we need.”
Last autumn, the CQC acknowledged that improvements had been made at Newcastle Hospitals and lifted a number of requirements that it had imposed.
In a report to a meeting at the end of last month, health bosses said that the CQC would return for a reinspection “hopefully soon”.
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