NHS Confederation chief executive to stand down

The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, has announced that he will stand down from the role in April 2026. 

Matthew has led the NHS Confederation since June 2021 and in that time has been a strong advocate for the health and care system across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including during its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial action, and in the run up to the General Election.  

He has been an influential voice on major policy developments throughout his tenure, such as the legal establishment of Integrated Care Boards, the publication of the Ten-Year Health Plan and the recent Comprehensive Spending Review. 

Under Matthew’s leadership, the NHS Confederation has developed and grown its membership, with networks in England spanning integrated care systems, primary care, mental health and acute care.  

Working with them, he pushed for increased capital investment, further decentralisation and for better collaboration between health and social care. This includes through integrated care systems, the development of place-based partnerships and more recently, in the growth of neighbourhood health teams. 

With Matthew at the helm, the NHS Confederation has amplified how it engages with and influences government on the issues that matter most to health leaders, while growing the organisation’s improvement offer through bespoke leadership programmes, peer learning, and resources. 

Commenting on his departure, Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation said: “I was pleased to appoint Matthew as chief executive nearly five years ago when in the wake of the pandemic, the NHS needed a powerful voice to enact change. Matthew has been an outstanding leader in that time and an unparalleled advocate for our members, steering them through numerous challenges while presenting a hopeful and insightful vision for the future. 

"The organisation that Matthew will leave is vastly different to the one he joined and on behalf of my Board of Trustees, I would like to thank and commend Matthew for his vital contribution.” 

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: "By the time I step down, I will have had five fantastic years at the NHS Confederation. During this time, we have reasserted the role of the NHS Confederation as a constructive and influential voice in shaping health policy and practice on behalf of our members, while also empowering local health and care organisations to innovate and collaborate for the benefit of their local communities. 

"I am proud of what we have achieved together and honoured to have served the organisation and its members during this period.” 

Matthew has enjoyed a distinguished career at the heart of public policy, which includes time in No. 10 as the Chief Adviser on Political Strategy to then Prime Minister Tony Blair, and a four-year tenure leading the Institute for Public Policy Research. He is a widely-known commentator on policy, politics and public service reform, and regularly appears on national media programmes, including as a panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze. He was also commissioned by the Conservative Government in 2016 to carry out an independent review into modern employment practices. Matthew started his career as a health policy researcher in the West Midlands. 

The NHS Confederation's Board of Trustees will meet in October to consider succession planning and the organisation will update its members, partners and staff in due course.