Message from Frankie Swords, National Medical Director NHS England

Dear colleagues,

Stepping into the role as National Medical Director this week, it has been an absolute privilege to begin meeting some of you, particularly on the Wednesday call with medical, nursing, and healthcare leaders across the country. Thank you very much indeed for the warm welcome!     

I am delighted and honoured to be in this role, and I am determined to do all I can to improve the working lives of doctors, as well as to improve our services for patients. It has been brilliant to start meeting colleagues across NHS England and the wider system in my first week, and to hear about the huge range of work underway to improve care for patients.

I am very aware that this is a time of significant change and uncertainty, and I don't underestimate the scale of the challenge we are all facing. But what has struck me most is the obvious passion, commitment and professionalism across teams. There is a strong sense of shared purpose, and a clear focus on improving care for patients, which is incredibly encouraging to see.

Starting in my new role, my first priority is to take time to listen and learn from colleagues across the system to better understand both the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is already clear to me that we have a huge amount to be proud of, and it is also clear that strong clinical leadership, and working well together across organisations, will be vital to continue delivering even more meaningful improvement.

Over the coming weeks, I am looking forward to continuing these conversations and hearing directly from you and colleagues across the country, as we build on what we learn and can achieve together. 

Best wishes,

Professor Frankie Swords
National Medical Director 
NHS England