Professor David Haslam has taken over as chair of NICE on the same day it changed its name from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The new name is part of extensive changes to the NHS in England and reflects NICE’s extended remit to provide guidance for social care in addition to its existing healthcare responsibilities.
As current national clinical adviser to the Care Quality Commission, Prof Haslam will be aware of the new challenges NICE faces in its revised role as the bulk of NHS changes outlined in the Health and Social Care Act are rolled out.
His experience also includes stints as president of the British Medical Association, president and chair of the Royal College of Practitioners, co-chair of the NHS Future Forum Information subgroup, professor in primary healthcare at de Montfort University, Leicester and several years as a GP in Cambridgeshire.
Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome our new chair, David Haslam, whose extensive experience as a GP and in the national leadership roles he has undertaken, and his awareness of the challenges facing social care, together with his knowledge of the Institute, make him ideally placed to lead NICE into the next exciting phase of its development.”
Prof Haslam paid tribute to his predecessor Sir Michael Rawlins who served as chair of NICE since its formation in April 1999.
“Sir Michael will be a tough act to follow but I look forward to the challenge of ensuring that NICE maintains and develops its hard-earned global reputation and continues to ensure better outcomes for patients in a rapidly changing health and social care environment.”