Deputy CEO of NHS Digital Rob Shaw is stepping down from the role to pursue a consulting career, the organisation announced on Friday (11 October).

At NHS Digital, Shaw led the move of Spine, which supports the IT infrastructure for England’s health and social care, in-house, and set up the organisation’s cybersecurity function, along with managing other major projects. 

He has been deputy CEO since August 2017, after holding the role of interim CEO from February 2017 and COO since April 2016. In 2018, he was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his contribution to health and social care.

Shaw will be leaving NHS Digital at Christmas, and he will initially be working with foreign governments on national health and care infrastructure, according to NHS Digital.

In a message sent to staff, seen by Healthcare IT News, NHS Digital chief executive Sarah Wilkinson said: “After a very long and distinguished career delivering technology services for the UK public sector, first for DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] and then for the NHS, a contribution which was recognised through the award of a CBE las year, I can only wish Rob the very best as he moves into private sector for a while.

“I very much hope that he will return to the NHS, ideally to NHS Digital, to work with us in some guise at some point in the future.”

In a statement, Shaw said: “Whilst I will miss the organisation and my talented colleagues enormously, the time is right to pursue some new challenges and to test my skills in some new environments.”

The announcement marks the latest departure from the NHS informatics space in 2019. At the beginning of the year, Juliet Bauer, chief digital officer for NHS England, joined online GP service provider LIVI, and was appointed managing director of the startup in the UK earlier this month. Will Smart, chief information officer for health and social care in England, also recently joined DXC Technology’s Healthcare and Life Sciences team as global director, client engagement.