This morning, Boris Johnson should be calling Simon Stevens, his old Oxford Union rival, and urging him to stay on as head of the NHS for another year. The decision on the new head of the NHS is one of the most consequential decisions that Sajid Javid will make as Health Secretary and asking a newcomer to the brief to make this decision straightaway is unwise, especially as there is such a divide in opinion about who the best candidate for the job is. Stevens continuing would provide some continuity and allow Javid to make a decision once he had time to determine what the health service was most in need of.
If Stevens was to follow Hancock out the door, there would be a worrying lack of experience at the top
The departure of the Health Secretary during a public health crisis is, to put it mildly, far from ideal – though, it is preferable to a broken reed trying to hang on to the job.
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