Chief executive of NICE to step down after 21 years

Chief executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Sir Andrew Dillon has announced he will step down from the role next year.

Dillon has been at the helm of NICE since it was founded in 1999 and will leave his post in March 2020, after 21 years of service.

“It has been a privilege to lead the organisation through its first two decades,” Dillon said. NICE has made a significant contribution to improving outcomes for people using the health and care services, and to the efficient use of resources. I feel very proud to be associated with those achievements.”

NICE’s chair Sir David Haslam, said: “The role of chief executive of NICE must be one of the most challenging and potentially controversial in British public life.

“Sir Andrew has carried out this role for 20 enormously successful years, and everyone who knows him – whether in government, the life sciences industry, or in health and social care – is full of admiration for his calm and skillful leadership.

“He was there right at the birth of NICE, and will leave it as an internationally respected, world leading, and hugely influential organisation. That’s quite a legacy and I’d like to thank him for his unwavering, dedicated service to NICE for the past 20 years and to the NHS before that.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock added: “Sir Andrew Dillon has made an immeasurable contribution to the NHS during his 20 years as chief executive of NICE.

“Under his leadership, NICE has become the world’s leading authority for providing clinicians and government with independent, clinical evidence about the effectiveness of treatments and medicines.

“This has been central to building the UK into the world-leader in life sciences and innovative treatments that it is today.”

NICE will make arrangements to advertise Dillon’s post during the autumn.

Responding to the news, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Mike Thompson said: "He has played a central role in building the credibility of the organisation, insisting on transparent processes, and a continuous dialogue with all stakeholders, recognising that as the science evolves, NICE needs to evolve too. 

As a result of this leadership, there is a consensus across industry about the central role of NICE in assessing all medicines, ensuring that patients have a right to access the treatments they need.

Hugely respected by all, we thank and congratulate Andrew on his outstanding achievements at NICE, and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavours”.