Professor Jason Leitch has announced that he will resign as National Clinical Director for Scotland at the end of April.
Professor Leitch will also step down from his role at NHS Tayside, deciding to “look for a new challenge in health and care after a break”.
He rose to prominence during the coronavirus crisis, attending a Holyrood press conference with the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Public information campaigns are conducted almost daily and are conducted on television, radio and online.
Announcing the news on Tuesday, he said: “It is a great honor to take on this role and work closely with colleagues across the medical and nursing sector to deliver for patients, their families and carers.
“The NHS and social care system are doing fantastic work every day and I am extremely proud of the team that I am lucky enough to be part of.
“The continued success of Scotland’s patient safety program is recognized globally and has significantly improved the safety and reliability of care in many areas.
“The coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for all countries and I am proud of the excellent work of my colleagues across government and beyond.
“It has been a privilege to communicate so directly with the public and be involved in coordinating the response, and I will always be grateful for the public’s concern and willingness to follow guidance – it saves lives.”
Professor Leitch has been with the Scottish Government since 2007 and was appointed National Clinical Director for the Health and Social Care Agency in January 2015.
professor UK COVID-19 inquiry under spotlight in Edinburgh in January.
He dismissed suggestions from inquiry lawyer Jamie Dawson KC that colleagues in the group chat were “keen to try and delete the messages, which could later be recovered through a freedom of information request”.
In a WhatsApp exchange, Ken Thomson, the Scottish government’s former director-general for strategy and external affairs, warned that its content was “recoverable under freedom of information” and sent an emoji of a closed mouth.
Professor Leitch responded: “Deleting WhatsApp is a bedtime ritual.”
When asked about his response, he claimed it was a “frivolous exaggeration” and said he doesn’t delete his WhatsApp messages on a daily basis.
He insisted he deleted the WhatsApp messages in compliance with Scottish Government policy on the use and retention of informal messages.
Humza Yousaf and Jason Leitch during the 2021 pandemic. Image: PA
Prior to taking up government roles, Professor Leitch was a Consultant Oral Surgeon in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Region.
He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Dundee and Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde.
The professor was awarded a CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honors.
He is also a board member of two large international charities: Nazareth Trust (which operates a hospital and nursing school in northern Israel) and Rural Evangelical Fellowship of India (which operates an orphanage, university and nursing school in rural southeastern India School).
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The Scottish Government said arrangements for the national clinical director position will be “developed in due course”.
chief minister Mr Yusuf said: “Jason Leitch has made a huge contribution to the nation’s health, leading work to reduce hospital-acquired infections and improve the quality of NHS care.
“The enduring success of Scotland’s patient safety program is testament to his work.
“He has been hugely instrumental in helping me and ministers respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing advice to help make the best decisions and communicating well with the public.
“I certainly wish him all the best for the future.”
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