Ming Tang Takes Over as Interim CDIO at NHS England

Key Takeaways

Ming Tang has been appointed interim chief digital and information officer at NHS England following John Quinn’s departure.
Tang will continue her current role as chief data and analytics officer while overseeing leadership during the transition period.
A permanent appointment for the chief digital officer position is underway, focusing on integrating digital and data efforts within the NHS.

Appointment of Interim Chief Digital Officer

Ming Tang has taken on the role of interim chief digital and information officer (CDO) at NHS England, effective April 1, 2025. This appointment follows the departure of John Quinn, which was announced earlier in January 2025. Tang will also maintain her responsibilities as chief data and analytics officer (CDAO) during this transition.

In an internal communication shared with colleagues, Vin Diwakar, the national director of transformation at NHS England, explained that the decision for an interim appointment was made to ensure continuity and leadership during this critical period. The NHS is in the initial stages of integrating with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and an interim solution is deemed necessary to navigate this transition smoothly.

Diwakar mentioned that the interim arrangement will remain until a permanent chief digital officer is appointed, with recruitment efforts already underway. He expressed confidence in Tang’s leadership skills, citing her extensive experience in managing large, complex change programs, which she has demonstrated since joining the NHS in 2009. Previously, she led commissioning support services and served as the managing director of a commissioning support unit.

Tang has recently co-chaired a working group focused on the NHS’s 10-year health plan, collaborating with DHSC colleagues to develop strategies for resource allocation, data usage, and technology integration, ultimately aiming for a digitally connected future in healthcare. In her current capacity as CDAO in the Transformation Directorate, she is instrumental in developing data and analytics capabilities across the NHS and leading the federated data platform, one of the major transformation initiatives.

Diwakar highlighted the importance of collaboration between the digital and data teams as they work together to implement recommendations from the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan and support NHS transformation efforts. He emphasized the need for both functions to unify under the Transformation Directorate to effectively lead the change agenda.

Colleagues are encouraged to support Tang as she expands her role. In the coming weeks, she will collaborate with senior leadership teams across digital, data, and analytics to ensure a seamless transition in leadership.

Additionally, Diwakar announced during the recent Digital Health Rewired 2025 event that NHS England plans to launch the 2025 Digital Maturity Assessment in the following weeks, marking another step in the organization’s digital transformation journey.

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