Overview

Sonia Patel, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for NHS England, will be leaving her position in March 2026. She is set to assume the role of interim government CTO for a fixed term of 12 months.

Contributions to NHS England

During her tenure at NHS England, Patel has been instrumental in:

• Leading the national technology strategy, architecture, and standards.
• Driving the digital transformation of the NHS ecosystem.
• Achieving over 90% electronic patient record coverage.
• Implementing the Data Use and Access Bill.

Patel’s Reflections

In her statement, Patel expressed:

“It’s been a privilege to serve the NHS, its people and patients, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together with system leaders and colleagues across the NHS.”

Future Role

Patel will split her time between:

1. Serving as government CTO at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
2. Advising on technology architecture for the Digital Identity Programme (DIP) taskforce within the Cabinet Office.

Background and Achievements

Patel joined NHSX in 2020 as the national Chief Information Officer (CIO) and later became the System CIO after the merger with NHS England. Her leadership has been pivotal during significant challenges, including:

• The COVID-19 pandemic.
• Development of a model digital blueprint for NHS England.

Recognition and Transition

Jules Hunt, interim Director General for Technology, Digital and Data, praised Patel’s leadership, stating:

“Sonia has provided incredible leadership and has a strong track record of delivering innovation in complex and challenging environments.”

As part of the transition, the NHS technology strategy architecture and standards team will report to Matt Phillpot, Executive Director of Technology at NHS England.

Conclusion

Patel’s departure follows the retirement of David Knott from the government CTO role in December. She will begin her new position in March 2026, working closely with other CTOs across government to ensure the security and resilience of the Digital ID product.

Prior to her national role, Patel held various CIO and technology positions, advocating for diversity and innovation within the healthcare technology sector.