NICE has appointed Dr Samantha Roberts, a former director at NHS England, as its incoming chief executive, it has announced.
Currently, she works as managing director for health and care at Legal and General, a financial services company.
Dr Roberts had previously joined NHSE in 2018 as director of innovation, research and life sciences.
While at NHSE, she worked as chief executive of the Accelerated Access Collaborative, the umbrella organisation for UK health innovation.
It sought to help groups looking to get their products tested or funded by the NHS to overcome barriers in the health system.
She said: ‘We are living through a golden age of medical innovation. So it is an enormous privilege to be asked to lead an organisation that has both such a proud history and a such a significant future role to play in bringing the best of this innovation into practice.’
Dr Roberts will take up her new post on 1 February, with current chief executive Professor Gillian Leng retiring after 20 years.
Sharmila Nebhrajani, chairman of NICE, said Dr Roberts will bring with her a ‘wealth of experience and knowledge of the life sciences sector and the NHS’.
Last month, NICE appointed Professor Bee Wee, the current national clinical director for end of life Care, as a new non-executive Board director.
