Background
Sir Ian’s career in fact encompasses a number of careers in parallel. He is a lawyer whose expertise has been recognized by his being elected a Fellow of the British Academy and appointed an Honorary KC. He developed a new field of scholarship (medical law and ethics) and has written leading works in the area. From the early 1980s he became increasingly involved in public service, becoming a member of such bodies as the General Medical Council and the Medicines Commission a member and then chairman of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. At the same time he began to undertake reviews and inquiries for various Government Departments on areas of national policy.
Believing in the importance of contributing to the public discourse on matters of public importance, Sir Ian made programmes for BBC radio and television, including the Reith Lectures and two series on BBC2 TV about ethical challenges faced by doctors.
After completing the Public Inquiry into Bristol Royal Infirmary, Sir Ian was appointed by the Secretary of State for Health to create a body to regulate the NHS. This brought together two of Sir Ian’s particular skills: his expertise in regulation and his experience of setting up national bodies from scratch and then developing them.
Throughout his various careers Sir Ian has focused unceasingly on the importance of leadership. He understands what leadership involves, is an example of an outstanding leader, and sees the preparation of new leaders whether in the private or public sectors as of the greatest importance.