Former NWIS director Andrew Griffiths joins FEDIP board as chief executive

The Federation of Informatics Professionals (FEDIP) has appointed the former director of NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) and chief information officer, Andrew Griffiths, as the new chief executive of its management board.

FEDIP is the leading body on professionalism for the healthcare IT community, a collaboration between the leading professional bodies in health and care informatics supporting the development of the informatics profession.

It is made up of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT; Socitm, the Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation; CILIP, the Library and Information Association; AphA, the Association of Professional Healthcare Analysts, and IHRIM, the Institute of Health Records and Information Management.

FEDIP maintains a public register which demonstrates the professional competency of informatics staff.

Griffiths was credited for making a “dedicated and outstanding contribution” to the development of information and technology services in NHS Wales, and was instrumental in leading on the development of the national architecture and single digital patient record.

Commenting on his appointment, Griffiths said: “I am very pleased to be given this opportunity. I feel strongly healthcare should be an attractive workplace for informatics professionals, with a clear career path and professional development opportunities.

“I would like everyone working in healthcare IT to have professional registration.”

Griffiths was voted by readers of Digital Health News as Healthcare IT Champion of the year in 2015.

Adam Thilthope, BCS and FEDIP director, added: “We are delighted that we have someone of the calibre of Andrew Griffiths to drive the next stage of FEDIP’s journey so that we can make good on our mission: to ensure that everyone benefits from digital health and social care provision and can trust the highest professional and ethical standards are being met.”