Ex-NHS CIO to lead BCS health forum

Matthew Swindells who was NHS CIO from 2007 to April 2008 is to be the new head of the Health Informatics Forum of the BCS, the IT chartered institute.

David Clarke, BCS CEO said Swindells will be “informing the debate around health informatics, a debate that affects the lives of everybody in the UK.” It’s a debate Swindells said was at a “crucial time for informatics and the NHS as a whole”. He sees his role as: “promoting its activities and building confidence in the ability of informatics to contribute to improving our health system.”

Swindells became Department of Health CIO when Richard Granger, the CIO who became noted for his strong policy towards vendors and remuneration package, stepped down from the role. In April 2008 Swindells left the role to join IT consultancy and recruitment firm Tribal, which specialises in the public sector.

Swindells arrivesat the BCS with a strong health sector heritage having been head of information technology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London, as well as a stint as director of clinical services at Heatherwood and Wrexham Park Hospitals and chief executive of the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Having been chief executive for two years Swindells joined the Department for Health as a senior policy advisor for two years before taking the CIO role.

Swindells is also a visiting professor of management at the University of Surrey.