NICE announces Professor Jonathan Benger CBE as new chief executive
NICE Chairman, Sharmila Nebhrajani, today announced Professor Jonathan Benger CBE as incoming chief executive, with effect from Friday 19 December 2025 taking over from Dr Samantha Roberts.
Professor Benger joined NICE in January 2023 as chief medical officer and has since held the roles of interim director of the Centre for Guidelines and deputy chief executive. He brings extensive health policy experience from senior national roles, including interim chief clinical information officer at NHS England and chief medical officer of NHS Digital.
As well as his leadership work, Professor Benger continues to practice as a consultant in emergency medicine at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and works shifts with the Great Western Air Ambulance, a charity he helped to establish.
Professor Benger takes up his new role at a pivotal moment, as NICE plays a central part in delivering the government's 10 Year Health Plan for the NHS.
From April 2026:
NICE will evaluate some high-impact healthtech that meets the NHS’s most urgent needs, and this will be reimbursed and made available across the NHS - just like medicines. This will give patients fairer access to the best digital tools, diagnostics and medical devices, strengthen NHS decision-making and provide a more coordinated path to the NHS for healthtech developers.
NICE will work closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to speed up patient access to new medicines. Through better coordination, decisions on whether a medicine is safe and offers good value will be made at the same time, getting treatments to patients three to six months faster.
NICE will continually re-evaluate clinical pathways to ensure best value from existing treatments and technologies. This means identifying which older treatments no longer represent good value, freeing up NHS budgets for new innovations, and providing clearer advice to clinicians about which treatments to use first.
I’m delighted to announce Jonathan's appointment. He has been a key member of the NICE leadership team, responsible for some critical elements of our transformation over the last three years.
Ms Nebhrajani added: "Jonathan is widely respected in the sector and his extensive front-line clinical and national policy experience make him supremely well placed to lead our organisation through the next phase of its development. I am confident that with Jonathan's wisdom, integrity and drive, NICE’s ambitions remain undimmed, and we will be in excellent hands."
I'm honoured to be appointed as NICE's new chief executive at such an important time for the NHS and for healthcare innovation. NICE plays a vital role in helping practitioners and commissioners get the best care to people fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer. As we face growing healthcare demand and the rapid development of new medical technologies, our work has never been more important.
Professor Benger CBE, added: “I'm excited about the significant expansion of NICE's role outlined in the government's 10 Year Health Plan. I've seen first hand, both as a doctor in emergency medicine and in my work across the wider NHS, how the right guidance at the right time can transform patient care. My priority is to build on NICE's reputation for independence, transparency and rigour, respond to current system challenges and ensure we continue to support the delivery of excellence in healthcare."
Dr Samantha Roberts, outgoing chief executive at NICE, said: "I'm delighted that Jonathan has been appointed to lead NICE into its next chapter. His clinical expertise, national policy experience and deep understanding of the challenges facing the NHS make him the ideal person for this role. "