New NHS CEO announces senior changes

Simon Stevens, who took over as CEO of NHS England in April, has named several senior appointments to his team.

Imperial College London's Dr Mahiben Maruthappu joins the chief executive's office as the first member of a new programme providing opportunities for clinicians and managers to work on national strategy and operations. Further appointments to this programme will be announced in time.

Elsewhere, Ian Dodge was appointed to the NHS England board as national director for commissioning strategy. Dodge, currently director of the NHS Group at the Department of Health, replaces Bill McCarthy who is to take an academic role.

Further changes at NHS England include Jo Lenaghan's appointment as project director for the NHS 5 Year Forward View, a five-year financial sustainability strategy for the health service in England. She is currently director of strategy and workforce planning at Health Education England.

The final senior appointment at NHS England is that of Andrew Ridley as programme director for the Better Care Fund, a single pooled budget to support health and social care services to work more closely together in local areas.