If we treat NHS leaders as fair game for public ridicule …

Last week, the Daily Mail published an article about Sir Jim Mackey, Interim CEO of NHS England. It wasn’t an analysis of NHS performance or its current challenges or possible solutions. It didn’t scrutinise decisions about patient care, system reform or innovation. It featured photos taken without his knowledge and a distinctly creepy itinerary of his movements, family details, an estimate of the value of his watch and pictures of the inside of his house.

Jim is one of the most respected and capable leaders in the NHS. I had the privilege of working with him, and I know how committed he is to the Service. The underlying message in the article was that he isn't working hard enough. I don't believe that is true.

He doesn’t need me to defend him - but it’s worth reflecting on what this kind of coverage signals. If we treat NHS leaders as fair game for public ridicule, we will drive good people away - and stall progress where we need it most.

This kind of (non)story corrodes public trust, not in the individual, but in the system as a whole. It encourages cynicism and fuels the idea that nothing can improve. It’s also out of step with the reality of what most NHS leaders are grappling with: relentless pressure, difficult choices, and an unwavering commitment to patient care.

This matters to all of us working in and around digital health and tech. Digital transformation doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens when strong, reform-minded leaders make space for innovation and invest in new approaches.

At the Digital Healthcare Council, we work with innovative companies that are ready to help the NHS - partnership working, alignment and appetite for change at system level are key. That requires courageous leadership. We should be supporting people who are stepping up to help and willing to try to do things differently.