NICE has today announced the appointment of Professor Jonathan
Benger CBE as its new chief executive, with effect from Friday 19
December 2025 taking over from Dr Samantha Roberts.
Professor Benger joined NICE in January 2023 as chief medical
officer and has since held the roles of interim director of the
Centre for Guidelines and deputy chief executive. He brings
extensive health policy experience from senior national roles,
including interim chief clinical information officer at NHS
England and chief medical officer of NHS Digital.
As well as his leadership work, Professor Benger continues to
practice as a consultant in emergency medicine at the Bristol
Royal Infirmary and works shifts with the Great Western Air
Ambulance, a charity he helped to establish.
Professor Benger takes up his new role at a pivotal moment, as
NICE plays a central part in delivering the government's 10 Year
Health Plan for the NHS.
From April 2026:
- NICE will evaluate some high-impact healthtech that meets the
NHS's most urgent needs, and this will be reimbursed and made
available across the NHS - just like medicines. This will give
patients fairer access to the best digital tools, diagnostics and
medical devices, strengthen NHS decision-making and provide a
more coordinated path to the NHS for healthtech developers.
- NICE will work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to speed up patient access to
new medicines. Through better coordination, decisions on whether
a medicine is safe and offers good value will be made at the same
time, getting treatments to patients three to six months faster.
- NICE will continually re-evaluate clinical pathways to ensure
best value from existing treatments and technologies. This means
identifying which older treatments no longer represent good
value, freeing up NHS budgets for new innovations, and providing
clearer advice to clinicians about which treatments to use first.
Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE, chairman of NICE,
said: "I'm delighted to announce Jonathan's
appointment. He has been a key member of the NICE leadership
team, responsible for some critical elements of our
transformation over the last three years.
"Jonathan is widely respected in the sector and his extensive
front-line clinical and national policy experience make him
supremely well placed to lead our organisation through the next
phase of its development. I am confident that with Jonathan's
wisdom, integrity and drive, NICE's ambitions remain undimmed,
and we will be in excellent hands."
Professor Jonathan Benger CBE, incoming chief executive
at NICE, said: "I'm honoured to be appointed as
NICE's new chief executive at such an important time for the NHS
and for healthcare innovation.
“NICE plays a vital role in helping practitioners and
commissioners get the best care to people fast, while
ensuring value for the taxpayer. As we face growing healthcare
demand and the rapid development of new medical technologies, our
work has never been more important.
“I'm excited about the significant expansion of NICE's role
outlined in the government's 10 Year Health Plan. I've seen first
hand, both as a doctor in emergency medicine and in my work
across the wider NHS, how the right guidance at the right time
can transform patient care. My priority is to build on NICE's
reputation for independence, transparency and rigour, respond to
current system challenges and ensure we continue to support the
delivery of excellence in healthcare."
Dr Samantha Roberts, outgoing chief executive at NICE,
said: "I'm delighted that Jonathan has been
appointed to lead NICE into its next chapter. His clinical
expertise, national policy experience and deep understanding of
the challenges facing the NHS make him the ideal person for this
role."
