The NHS’s lead physician for England, who was a key counselor to officials and the public during the Covid-19 pandemic, is retiring this summer. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, will have served for seven and a half years upon his departure in July. He is deemed to have been part of the most pandemic-era daily press briefings compared to any other NHS or medical sanction authority member. Powis’s retirement follows Amanda Pritchard’s recent resignation as NHS England’s chief executive. Pritchard’s departure is part of an extensive overhaul of the NHS’s relationship with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Sir Jim Mackey, Pritchard’s successor, began working alongside her this week and will take complete control of the organization in April. Mackey is expected to implement changes in NHS England’s senior leadership and oversee its closer collaboration with the DHSC, alongside reducing its 13,000-strong staff complement.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/06/stephen-powis-step-down-nhs-england-medical-director