Head of HR in NHS to be replaced by interim

The head of HR for the NHS and Social Care is leaving the post at a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty for both sectors to take up a senior role at BT.

 
Clare Chapman, director general of workforce for the NHS and Social Care - the country’s biggest HR job - will leave the Department of Health next month after four and a half years in the post to become BT’s Group People Director.
 
Her last working day will be on 6 July and she will replace Alex Wilson, who has been head of HR at the telco since 2002. Wilson will leave in October to pursue a ‘portfolio’ career, which is understood to include consultancy work and a number of non-executive roles.
 
Chapman will be replaced on an interim basis by Jan Sobieraj, the DoH’s current director of leadership, who is on assignment from NHS Sheffield where he has been chief executive since 2006.
 
NHS boss Sir David Nicholson said: “We’re going to miss Clare. She has been an advocate and champion of partnership for the improvement of health care skills and workplaces. During her time in Health, Clare has delivered sector-wide initiatives such as the Centre for Workforce Intelligence, the Social Partnership Forum, the Equality and Diversity Council and the National Leadership Council.”
 
Her move comes as more than 50,000 doctors, nurses and other NHS staff are set to lose their jobs over the next four years as a result of the coalition government’s proposed reforms and demands that the health service make efficiency cuts of £20 billion.
 
Chapman came to the DoH from the private sector with more than 20 years’ HR experience. Her most recent post was group personnel director at Tesco, but she had previously held senior international HR positions at Pepsi and Quaker Oats. She is also a non-executive director at Kingfisher and TUI Travel.