NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has announced that he will stand down from the role in April 2026.
He has led the confederation since June 2021 and has been an influential voice on major policy developments throughout his tenure.
These include the establishment of Integrated Care Boards through legal means, the publication of the Ten-Year Health Plan, and the recent Comprehensive Spending Review.
Under Taylor’s leadership, the NHS Confederation has expanded its membership, with networks in England encompassing integrated care systems, primary care, mental health, and acute care.
He had pushed for increased capital investment, further decentralisation and for better collaboration between health and social care.
This led to the formation of integrated care systems, the development of place-based partnerships, and the growth of neighbourhood health teams.
With Taylor 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.
Taylor 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.”
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 from the one he joined, and on behalf of my Board of Trustees, I would like to thank and commend Matthew for his vital contribution.”
Taylor had earlier served as chief adviser on political strategy to then prime minister Tony Blair, and a four-year tenure leading the Institute for Public Policy Research.
He was also commissioned by the Conservative Government in 2016 to carry out an independent review into modern employment practices.
Taylor started his career as a health policy researcher in the West Midlands.
