As Chief Nursing Officer for England, Duncan is the most senior advisor on nursing matters to the government and provides clinical and professional leadership for all nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the NHS and nurses working in public health and the independent sector across England.

He is also an Executive Director at NHS England providing expert clinical and workforce advice to the NHS and the Board.

Prior to his appointment as Chief Nursing Officer for England, Duncan held the post of Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England and led the maternity and neonatal programme and the children and young people’s transformation programme, as well as nursing workforce policy and infection prevention and control. He delivered the Nursing International Recruitment Programme and the Healthcare Support Worker Recruitment Programme for the NHS.

Duncan has spent his entire career in nursing in the NHS and has held a variety of leadership and executive roles, including Executive Director of Nursing and Patient Experience at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation where he led the successful development and implementation of the trust’s award-winning dementia strategy.

Duncan is passionate about improving patient care and experience, improving the population’s health, growing, developing and nurturing the workforce, and inspiring the next generation of nursing and midwifery professionals and leaders.