Key Summary
- The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers confirmed their plans to merge in October 2025.
- NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor will act as interim chief executive till March-end.
- NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles is stepping down next week.
NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation have decided to merge and the new organisation will be led by Sir Ciarán Devane, who is chair of the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland.
The new membership body, which will be launched in April, will represent frontline NHS organisations across the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In October 2025, the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers confirmed their plans to merge, following many rounds of discussions among their members.
The legal merger concluded on 13 January, and the name and branding will be announced soon.
Till then, both organisations will maintain their current names and branding.
With Sir Ciarán’s appointment, NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles is stepping down next week.
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor will be the interim chief executive of the merged organisation until the end of March.
In September 2025, he announced his plans to leave the NHS Confederation at the end of March 2026. He will be the chair of the government’s Fair Work Agency.
Sir Devane will lead the new organisation, and focus on improving the NHS and the health of the people by providing an influential voice for NHS leaders.
He has extensive leadership experience across health and social care and public service.
At the HSE (Ireland’s broad equivalent of the NHS), where he has been chair since 2019, he is responsible for over 150,000 healthcare professionals across hospitals, community healthcare, social care, disability services, mental healthcare, ambulances, and support staff.
Sir Devane has been executive director of the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University since 2021, chief executive of the British Council (2015-20) and chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support (2007-14), for which he received a knighthood in 2015.
He has also served on NHS England’s board as a non-executive director from 2012 to 2015.
Sir Devane said, “I am honoured to lead this unified membership body at such a crucial time for the NHS and wider health and care services. By bringing together the strengths of both organisations, we can create a single, powerful voice that supports NHS leaders and staff."
