The founder of Oak National Academy will lead a new “delivery unit” for the Department of Health and Social Care tasked with cutting hospital wait times and improving access to GPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt Hood has been appointed a senior adviser to health secretary Wes Streeting, Schools Week can reveal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He will lead a new \u2018delivery unit\u2019 at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), tasked with \u201ctracking and challenging\u201d delivery of key NHS targets such as bringing down hospital waiting times and improving access to GPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A previous job advert for a director role of the delivery unit described it as bringing a “laser-like focus on delivering the reform needed to drive improvement generally across health and care and specifically on the three things that surveys show matter most to the public\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It said the small team will include a mix of internal and external recruits, including those with knowledge of the health system but also \u201cexpertise on delivering strategic and cultural change and policy development and delivery\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood has been appointed as a direct ministerial appointment \u2013 meaning his role will sit within the secretary of state\u2019s office. He started the role, which is paid, last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DHSC said today Streeting as \u201cmade clear his plan for delivery during a period of reform and transformation of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMatt will work with the department\u2019s Delivery Unit to help ensure that the Government and Department deliver on its commitments, coordinate across the health and care system and provide advice on emerging challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood, whose background is working in education, was approached for comment. The department said he has held “senior roles in public service delivery and brings direct experience of leading organisations during periods of significant change”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hood stood down from Oak, a government curriculum quango, earlier this year<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is understood he has stepped away from other education positions too, including Ofsted’s curriculum reference group<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hood’s husband, Josh MacAlister, was appointed children’s minister in September<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n