Matthew TaylorSector leader

Biography

Matthew Taylor CBE is serving as interim chief executive of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, bridging to the new merged membership body until incoming chief executive Sir Ciarán Devane takes over. He joined the NHS Confederation as chief executive in June 2021, having previously led the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) for 15 years, and before that served as chief adviser on political strategy to Prime Minister Tony Blair and ran the Institute for Public Policy Research. During his tenure he was an influential voice on the legal establishment of Integrated Care Boards, the Ten-Year Health Plan, and the Comprehensive Spending Review, and pushed for greater capital investment and collaboration between health and social care. He was also commissioned by the Conservative government in 2016 to lead the independent Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. He has been appointed as the inaugural chair of the government's Fair Work Agency from April 2026.

References

1. 1.Matthew Taylor | NHS Confederation — Confirms interim CEO role covering both NHS Confederation and NHS Providers pending merger handover; career background at RSA, Blair government, and IPPR
2. 2.NHS Confederation and NHS Providers announce new chief executive | NHS Confederation — Confirms Taylor acting as interim chief executive of the merged organisation until end of March 2026; merger context and Sir Ciarán Devane appointment
3. 3.NHS Confederation chief executive to stand down | NHS Confederation — Establishes Taylor's tenure since June 2021, his advocacy on ICBs, Ten-Year Health Plan, Comprehensive Spending Review, and push for capital investment and health-social care collaboration
4. 4.Matthew Taylor – GOV.UK — Confirms he led the independent Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices in 2016, foundational to the Employment Rights Bill
5. 5.BREAKING NEWS: Matthew Taylor to lead Government's new Fair Work Agency | Healthcare Management

Expertise

Cited on

• Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

• NHS membership representation
• Integrated care policy
• Health and care system reform
• Workforce and employment policy
• Provider sustainability
• Capital investment and decentralisation

Notable achievements

• Led NHS Confederation advocacy on the legal establishment of Integrated Care Boards and engagement with the Ten-Year Health Plan and Comprehensive Spending Review during his tenure (2021–2026). Source ↗
• Chaired the government-commissioned Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices (2016–17), whose recommendations formed the foundation for the Employment Rights Bill. Source ↗
• Appointed as inaugural chair of the government's Fair Work Agency, taking up the role from April 2026. Source ↗
• Acting as interim chief executive of the merged NHS Confederation and NHS Providers body, pending handover to Sir Ciarán Devane following the legal merger completed 13 January 2026. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “Given the strain on public finances, private investment is one of the only ways to inject vital capital funding into the NHS so it can build modern healthcare facilities fit for the 21st century. This does not mean resurrecting the old private finance initiatives model, which has faced some justified criticism.”

  chief executive of the hospitals group the NHS Confederation · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Fears of new PFI-style ‘disaster’ as firms handed £6m to advise on using private funds for NHS clinics ↗

• “The threat from unbudgeted redundancy payments, higher drug prices and renewed industrial action risks derailing progress on key waiting time targets and the wider reforms that are essential to getting the NHS back on track.”

  Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · NHS leaders warn of longer waiting times if demand for extra £3bn not met ↗

• “Consultants voting to down tools would be a bitter pill to swallow for NHS staff who are working hard to recover performance and reform services. More strikes over winter would cause huge disruption to patient care during the busiest period of the year for the NHS.”

  Chief executive of the NHS Confederation · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Hospital consultants gearing up to join resident doctors in striking over pay ↗

Source references

1. Fears of new PFI-style ‘disaster’ as firms handed £6m to advise on using private funds for NHS clinicstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. NHS leaders warn of longer waiting times if demand for extra £3bn not mettheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
3. Hospital consultants gearing up to join resident doctors in striking over paytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
4. Resident doctors begin five-day strike in latest walkout over paytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
5. Hospitals must get smaller to stop NHS ‘permacrisis’, thinktank urges

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.nhsconfed.org/people/matthew-taylor
• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/matthew-taylor-b87954114
• Press office emailexternalaffairs@nhsconfed.orgpublished here ↗
• Press office phone0207 799 6666published here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.