Responding to the announcement that Amanda Pritchard has today formally notified the NHS England Board of her decision to stand down as chief executive at the end of this financial year, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"I would like to pay tribute to the immense contribution that Amanda Pritchard has made to the NHS, as chief executive of NHS England, a trustee at NHS Providers, and throughout her long and distinguished career in the health service to date. 

"Amanda has been an inspirational leader.

"She has embodied the values of the NHS, acting on her genuine passion to ensure high quality care for NHS patients.

"She has shown immense fortitude in a range of leadership roles, helping to steer the NHS through some of the most difficult days in its history, including the pandemic and its aftermath, unprecedented financial pressures and structural upheavals.

"Amanda has never shied away from the scale of the challenges the health service faces, but her desire to engage with colleagues at all levels across the NHS has helped forge a closer relationship between NHS England and the frontline.

"She leaves a legacy of hope for a renewed and resilient NHS as work continues in shaping the forthcoming 10 year health plan."