Written Statement: Appointment of Chair - Digital Health and Care Wales

I am pleased to announce after a successful recruitment campaign, the appointment of Mr Simon Jones as Chair of Digital Health and Care Wales with effect from 1 October 2021.  Mr Jones’ tenure will run for four years until 30 September 2025. 

The interim Chair, Mr Bob Hudson OBE will step down on 30 September 2021.  Mr Hudson took up an interim position in November 2020, to oversee transition of staff and functions from NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) to a newly established Special Health Authority, Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). 

Mr Hudson led the appointment to the Board, including both non-executive and executive members and the establishment of the governance framework. I am very grateful to him for stepping into this role at such an important phase in the establishment of DHCW and for laying the foundations upon which Mr Jones will now build. 

Mr Jones’ term will start from 1 October 2021.  His appointment will be remunerated at an annual rate of £43,326 for a time commitment of 14.5 days per month.  Mr Jones has not declared any political activity.

Mr Jones has had significant Board-level experience. He has worked in the public, third and private sectors beginning his career in Wales in the Transport and General Workers’ Union and then the Wales TUC.  He led the Wales Co-operative Centre to become the largest co-operative development organisation in the UK.

He has considerable experience in leadership roles in NHS Wales, first as a member of South Glamorgan Health Authority, then as Vice Chair and Chair of Bro Taf Health Authority, and until December 2008 was Chair of Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust.  During this time, he was lead Trust Chair and also Chair of the Welsh NHS Confederation.

Mr Jones was head of public sector recruitment in Wales for Odgers Berndtson, and then the first Head of Policy in Wales for Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end of life charity, later becoming the UK Director of Policy.  Mr Jones has been a Charity Commission board member and a Wales committee member for the National Lottery Community Fund.

I look forward to working with Mr Jones and I am confident that his experience will enable him to steer DHCW through an important phase of establishment and driving digital transformation in health and care.