New chief medical officer sets out vision for local care

The new chief medical officer for Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) has shared his ambitions for improving local health and care.

Dr Andrew Rochford, who joined the ICB in March 2025, will provide clinical leadership to health and care services across BLMK. He will work with partners to shape clinical strategies, improve outcomes and ensure high-quality care for local people and communities.

Dr Rochford came to the ICB from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, where he was a consultant gastroenterologist, though he continues to work there one day a week. He has also held senior clinical positions at Barts Health NHS Trust and NHS England, and his work to improve urgent and emergency care has earned recognition both in the UK and internationally.

With a strong interest in service improvement, he previously served as improvement clinical director for the Royal College of Physicians, where his portfolio included accreditation, audit, patient safety and the Patient Carer Network.

Here, Dr Rochford speaks about his connection to BLMK, the priorities ahead, and what makes the NHS such a unique organisation.

Have you worked in the BLMK area before?
“Yes, my first job in the NHS was as a junior doctor in gastroenterology and general medicine at Luton & Dunstable Hospital in 2000. It was an exciting and enjoyable time. I worked for a fantastic consultant and team, and it was a formative period of my life that I look back on with great fondness. So in many ways, it feels like I’m coming back to where it all began – and that’s a really special feeling.”

How do you hope to further improve healthcare in BLMK?
“One area is how people are able to access healthcare, and what health means to them – how they prioritise their wellbeing and whether they have the tools and support to do so. The opportunity in my role is to lead conversations around solutions that aren’t purely medical, but social solutions that involve healthcare alongside action to tackle the wider determinants of health.

“Communication and signposting are also key challenges – how people navigate the system and understand where to go for help. That’s a behavioural shift the healthcare system needs to support, working closely with partners. Collaboration with our partners and communities is essential to ensure the best possible access to healthcare, which ultimately drives the best outcomes.”

How does your role align with the ICB’s priorities for 2025/26, including vaccination, use of the NHS app, and transformation in care pathways?
“These priorities were agreed before I was appointed, and I fully support them. My focus now is on aligning them with our wider ICB health strategy, which spans six key domains: mental health, fragile services, cancer, unplanned care, women and children’s services, and long-term conditions.

“I’ll be working with the executive team and partners to ensure we bring these elements together from a clinical perspective – so we’re delivering outstanding care and promoting better health for everyone in BLMK.”

What do you think will be the key priorities in your new role?
“I will be supporting the delivery of the Darzi ambitions on access, quality and performance, working with the digital, primary care and Luton Place teams.  They are already focused on helping the local health system deliver the three key shifts – from analogue to digital, from hospital to community, and from sickness to prevention.

“The ICB here in BLMK has a very good story to tell when it comes to developing strong place-based partnerships.  The Learning Action Network for cardiovascular disease is an excellent example, where we are working with specific cohorts of residents to find ways to tackle health inequalities.

“The focus of the ICB reconfiguration is on population health, measuring, monitoring and evaluating impact. With our strong links with public health across BLMK, including the Population Health Intelligence Unit, we are starting from a strong point.”

Finally, what is it about the NHS that makes it so special?
“Having recently spent time in the United States, where there isn’t a national health service, I found it genuinely distressing to see how difficult it can be to access healthcare. It made me appreciate the NHS even more.

“The NHS is an incredible organisation. It’s full of amazing people doing amazing things for patients and communities. It’s inspirational. Of course, we’re facing significant challenges, and there’s always room for improvement. But I’m focused on how we can work better with residents and communities here in BLMK to deliver that.

“On a personal level, I’ve felt incredibly welcomed by colleagues at the ICB and by our partners. It’s been heartening, and a real privilege. It’s another reminder of just how special the NHS really is.”