Tim Kelsey

Who is Tim Kelsey?

Tim Kelsey is the first National Director for Patients and Information in the National Health Service. The role combines the functions of chief technology and information officer with responsibility for patient and public participation and communications. Before his appointment in July 2012, he was the United Kingdom government's Executive Director of Transparency and Open Data leading on the development of national public data policy. He is a British journalist who co-founded Dr Foster, the organisation which internationally pioneered publication of comparative hospital death rates and other measures of health quality. The Department of Health's acquisition of 50% of Dr Foster in 2006 was strongly criticised by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, which described it as "favouritism" and a "hole and corner deal". Kelsey has become a leading activist for transparency in quality in public services and was the architect and launch programme director of NHS Choices.