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Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has announced that he will step down from his role in April 2026 after nearly five years at the helm of the membership body representing health and care organisations across the UK.
Taylor, who took up the post in June 2021, has been a prominent advocate for the health and care system during a turbulent period that has included the COVID-19 recovery, widespread industrial action and the run-up to a General Election. He has also played a central role in shaping major policy developments, such as the creation of Integrated Care Boards, the launch of the Ten-Year Health Plan and the latest Comprehensive Spending Review.
Under his leadership, the NHS Confederation has expanded its networks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, championed stronger collaboration between health and social care, and pressed government for greater capital investment and further decentralisation. The organisation has also enhanced its offer to members through leadership programmes, peer learning and resources.
Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Confederation, praised Taylor’s impact: “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 to the one he joined.”
Reflecting on his departure, Taylor said: “By the time I step down, I will have had five fantastic years at the NHS Confederation. We have reasserted the role of the organisation as a constructive and influential voice in shaping health policy, while empowering local health and care organisations to innovate and collaborate for the benefit of their communities. I am proud of what we have achieved together and honoured to have served our members during this period.”
Taylor’s career spans senior roles in public policy, including serving as Chief Adviser on Political Strategy to Tony Blair in No. 10, leading the Institute for Public Policy Research, and carrying out the Government-commissioned review into modern employment practices in 2016. He is also a familiar commentator on health and social policy in the media, including as a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze.
The NHS Confederation’s Board of Trustees will meet in October to consider succession plans and provide updates to members, partners and staff.
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