Bill McCarthy is set to leave NHS England, where he serves as policy director, to take up the role of deputy vice chancellor (operations) at the University of Bradford.
He will leave the NHS after working three months’ notice but will continue to pursue research interests in health policy.
Sir David Nicholson, chief executive of NHS England, said: “Bill McCarthy has been a superb member of both the Board and Executive Team of NHS England.
“He was one of the very first appointments I made to the senior team in 2011 and he has played a critical role in establishing the organisation. I would like to thank Bill for all his work on behalf of NHS England and to wish him every success in this new role.”
McCarthy, a former chief executive of City of York council and the NHS’s Yorkshire and the Humber region, as well as director general at the Department of Health, was once seen as an outside bet to replace Nicholson.
Incoming NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has already said, in an internal announcement, that there would be “a few incremental changes to our national directorates to further support strong commissioning”.
But asked whether McCarthy’s departure was connected to these changes, an NHS England representative told PMLiVE: “His decision to go was a personal one and is totally unconnected to any subsequent changes Simon Stevens may wish to make prompted by Bill’s departure.”
Stevens, who steps into his new role on 1 April, said: “We wish Bill every success in his new role in Bradford, and for the future.”
“I have had a fantastic time at NHS England and will miss working with many great colleagues. However, an exciting opportunity has arisen for me, and I am really looking forward to the challenges it will present,” said McCarthy.