Schoolteacher Jason Leitch has introduced he’s stepping ailing as Scotland’s nationwide medical director on the finish of April.
Schoolteacher Leitch may also reduce his publish at NHS Tayside in a call to “look for new challenges across health and care after a break”.
He shot to prominence right through the COVID pandemic, showing at Holyrood briefings along upcoming first minister Nicola Sturgeon on a near-daily foundation in addition to fronting society knowledge campaigns on TV, radio and on-line.
Saying the scoop on Tuesday, he mentioned: “It has been an enormous privilege to carry out this role and work closely with colleagues across the health and care sector in service of the patients, their families and carers.
“The NHS and social lend a hand gadget does important paintings each and every future, and I’m immensely pleased with the groups I’ve had the privilege of being a part of.
“The ongoing success of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme is globally recognised and has significantly improved the safety and reliability of care in many ways.
“The COVID pandemic was once an unheard of problem for all international locations and I’m pleased with my colleagues outside and inside govt for his or her fantastic paintings.
“It was a privilege to be able to communicate with the public so directly and be part of that coordinated response, and I will forever be grateful for the public’s attention and willingness to follow the guidance – it saved lives.”
Schoolteacher Leitch has labored for the Scottish govt since 2007 and was once appointed nationwide medical director within the condition and social lend a hand directorate in January 2015.
The teacher came under the spotlight while the UK COVID-19 Inquiry was sitting in Edinburgh in January.
He refuted an offer via Jamie Dawson KC, recommend to the inquiry, that colleagues in a bunch chat have been “keen to try to delete messages which may subsequently be recoverable in a freedom of information request”.
All over a WhatsApp change, Ken Thomson, the Scottish govt’s former director-general of technique and exterior affairs, warned that its contents have been “FOI-recoverable” and despatched an emoji face with a mouth zipped close.
Schoolteacher Leitch answered: “WhatsApp deletion is a pre-bed ritual.”
When wondered on the inquiry about his reaction, he claimed it was once a “flippant exaggeration” and mentioned he didn’t delete his WhatsApp messages everyday.
He maintained he deleted WhatsApp messages in form with the Scottish govt’s coverage at the usefulness and retention of casual messaging.
Humza Yousaf and Jason Leitch right through the pandemic in 2021. Pic: PA
Previous to his govt position, Schoolteacher Leitch was once an oral surgical treatment guide with NHS Better Glasgow and Clyde.
He’s an honorary teacher on the College of Dundee and a visiting teacher on the College of Strathclyde.
The teacher was once awarded a CBE within the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
He’s additionally a board member of 2 immense global charities – the Nazareth Agree with, which runs a health facility and nursing faculty in Northern Israel, and the Indian Rural Evangelical Fellowship, which runs an orphanage, faculty and nursing faculty in rural southeast Republic of India.
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The Scottish govt mentioned preparations for the nationwide medical director publish will probably be “set out in due course”.
First Minister Mr Yousaf mentioned: “Jason Leitch has made a fantastic contribution to the health of the nation, leading work to reduce hospital acquired infections and improve the quality of care in the NHS.
“The long-lasting good fortune of the Scottish Affected person Protection Programme is testomony to his paintings.
“He played a huge role in helping me and fellow ministers navigate the COVID pandemic by providing advice to help reach the best decisions, and by communicating so well with the public.
“I after all want him each and every good fortune going forward.”
