Former Test and Trace chief Dido Harding has applied to become the next head of NHS England.
The Tory peer announced that she was going for the top job which becomes vacant when Sir Simon Stevens stands down at the end of July.
Baroness Harding was appointed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock without competition to head the Test and Trace system during the pandemic, which she did until April.
The scheme has come in for criticism over the course of the pandemic, with the Commons Public Accounts committee saying earlier this year that there was “no clear evidence” it contributed to a reduction in infection levels.
The post is more powerful than most Cabinet ministers with a £130bn annual budget and 1.5 million employees.
The peer, who has temporarily stepped aside as chair of NHS Improvement, would be a controversial appointment because of her Tory links and lack of hospital experience.
According to NHS England, the chief executive salary was between £195,000 and £200,000 last year but Sir Simon voluntarily taken a £20,000 pay cut for the sixth year in a row.
Among her previous jobs, Baroness Harding was chief executive of TalkTalk for seven years until 2017, and before that worked in senior roles for both Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
Shadow health minister Justin Madders said: “I would hope that all candidates applications are judged on the basis of their recent performance in public sector roles, which in her case speaks for itself. Failing which, Dominic Cummings WhatsApp ought to provide a candid assessment.”
