The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a major recruitment drive for a Director General for Technology, Digital and Data, a senior role offering a maximum annual salary of £285,000. This makes the post one of the most highly paid technology leadership positions within Whitehall, signalling both the Government’s significant digital ambitions for the health and care sector and the fierce competition for top-tier talent.
According to the job description, the new DG will be pivotal in setting the strategic direction and providing executive leadership for technology and data across the DHSC. Key responsibilities will involve overseeing major digital initiatives, including the NHS App, interoperability programmes, and the integration of data systems across the health and social care landscape.
This recruitment comes at a critical time, with health data and digital transformation dominating policy discussions. With the planned closer integration of NHS England into DHSC's structures in 2026, strong digital leadership is essential. The role will be crucial for aligning public-sector IT capacity with urgent frontline demands, such as implementing federated data platforms, supporting AI-enabled clinical decision support, and improving system interoperability between primary, secondary, and community care. The new DG is also expected to replace the interim leadership that was established during the DHSC's structural reorganisation. This shift, sometimes described as a historic change in NHS governance, has given the DHSC new, scaled-up responsibilities for digital strategy delivery.
The £285,000 salary is notably higher than many existing senior civil service roles within the Department. For instance, the permanent secretary position was advertised at up to £200,000, and other senior posts, like finance or medical directors, have lower maximum salary bands. This move underscores the high priority DHSC is placing on securing expert digital leadership.
The competitive pay is a direct response to the long-standing challenge government departments face in attracting and retaining senior technology and data leaders. Public-sector salaries have historically lagged behind the private sector, but this substantial offer, which far exceeds typical senior civil service pay bands, is designed to enhance the role’s competitiveness. The high salary has prompted debate among policy experts and civil servants. Proponents argue that such remuneration is necessary to attract leaders capable of navigating the immense complexity of health and care digital systems, particularly as public expectations grow concerning AI, data security, patient access, and integrated platforms. Critics, however, raise concerns about balancing competitive pay with the wider principles of public-sector pay restraint and fairness.
Beyond salary, effective digital leadership is intertwined with data governance and patient trust. With large NHS datasets increasingly informing clinical care and policy, the incoming DG will be tasked with safeguarding robust privacy protections, ensuring ethical AI deployment, and maintaining transparent data sharing frameworks—all areas that have recently been under intense public scrutiny.
The DHSC's digital leadership push also occurs amidst broader workforce pressures within the NHS, where hospitals frequently report digital skills shortages and struggle with legacy systems. Strengthening the Department's senior technology leadership is intended to drive initiatives that boost capability and streamline transformation efforts to better support frontline staff. This appointment, currently underway in early 2026, will be closely watched across the health and care sectors as a key indicator of the DHSC's commitment to advancing its digital transformation agenda.
