The Welsh Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Dr Frank Atherton, is stepping down after eight years in the job.
Atherton, a physician who qualified as a consultant in public health medicine in 1997, became chief medic in 2016 and played a leading role in the response to the Covid pandemic.
He joined the Welsh Government after four years as deputy chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia in Canada.
Earlier in his career, he was a senior health and population adviser at the Department for International Development from 1999 to 2002. He then spent a decade at NHS North Lancashire, where he was director of public health. He also had a nearly four-year stint as president of the Association of Directors of Public Health.
Atherton was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to public health, along with England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty and a number of other high-profile civil service medics who played prominent roles at the height of the Covid pandemic.
Atherton said it had been a “privilege to act as CMO and a highlight of my professional career to have served the people of Wales during this incredibly challenging time”.
“I would like to thank all those other civil servants, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, who have assisted me for almost a decade in this role,” he said.
Wales’s health secretary, Jeremy Miles, said Atherton had provided “invaluable advice and guidance” during his tenure.
“He played a leading role in our response to the pandemic, ensuring people throughout Wales received valuable information about the virus and about how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. I wish him all the best for the future,” he added.
Judith Paget, chief executive of NHS Wales, said: “Frank has shown how passionate he is about improving health outcomes for the Welsh population and has led the way on improving the quality of healthcare.
“It has been a privilege to work with him and to have the benefit of his experience and commitment to new approaches.
“He has played a crucial role in being the Welsh voice around the table with other UK chief medical officers, government departments and organisations.”