The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister,
has announced the appointment of Samantha Jones as the new
Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care
(DHSC).
Samantha is currently a non-executive director at DHSC, and the Chief
Operating Officer for Xlinks, a renewable energy company.
Samantha began her career as a nurse in the NHS, and was a
hospital Chief Executive before moving to NHS England to lead the
New Models of Care programme. She has also led one of the
largest primary care providers in England. Since her time in the
NHS, Samantha served as an expert advisor to the PM on NHS
Transformation and Social Care in 2021, before taking up post as
the interim Permanent Secretary and Chief Operating Officer for
10 Downing Street.
Samantha will join DHSC at a critical
time, as the government rebuilds the NHS as part of the Plan for
Change. Samantha will be building a team to deliver this vital
transformation which will include appointing a Chief Operating
Officer.
Samantha will replace , who left DHSC in December
last year, to take up the role of Cabinet Secretary.
The Health and Social Care Secretary, the Rt Hon MP, said:
I am delighted to welcome Samantha in her new role as Permanent
Secretary.
Samantha brings a wealth of experience from the frontline of
healthcare as a general and paediatric nurse - she knows what it
is like to be working on wards and will translate that expertise
to her work across the department.
Equally, her work in senior management roles across both
Whitehall and the health and social care sector will prove
invaluable as we reintegrate NHS England back into the department
to cut red tape, reduce duplication and make it fit for the
future as part of our Plan for Change.
Cabinet Secretary, Sir , said:
I am delighted to see Sam take up the role of Permanent Secretary
at DHSC, having worked
with her closely during my time there. Samantha is an outstanding
public servant, who has spent much of her career working to
improve and enrich the lives of people across the country.
This is a critical time for DHSC, as they look
to welcome their NHS England colleagues back into the department,
and work to deliver the government missions and Plan for Change.
Samantha is uniquely positioned to drive forward this work, and I
look forward to working with her.
I also want to put on record my thanks to Professor for his leadership of the
Department since my departure.
Samantha Jones said:
It is an absolute privilege to be appointed Permanent Secretary
at DHSC, working with
colleagues across health and social care to support the
government's Plan for Change and deliver a rebuilt NHS, fit for
the future.
Having worked alongside the brilliant team at DHSC over the past
few years, serving on their board, I look forward to leading a
department of committed public servants to improve the health of
our nation.
