The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Professor Gillian Leng CBE as the new Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) effective from 1 April 2025.

Professor Gillian Leng CBE will succeed Dr Lesley Rushton, who has held the post of IIAC Chair since 1 April 2018.

Minister for Transformation Andrew Western MP said:

I am very pleased to welcome Professor Gillian Leng CBE to the role of IIAC Chair. Professor Leng CBE will bring a wealth of experience to this challenging but rewarding role. I would also like to thank Dr Lesley Rushton as the IIAC Chair, for her substantial contribution to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.

Professor Gillian Leng CBE said:

I am delighted to be appointed as the next chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. The Council has played a vital role in advising on industrial injuries since 1945 and is now entering an exciting time with the ability to commission additional scientific support. I look forward to playing a part in the next phase of its work.

Dr Lesley Rushton, outgoing Chair of IIAC said:

It has been my privilege to serve as Chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council for the past seven years. We have evaluated a wide range of occupation-related ill-health issues including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK workers, probably the most challenging issue in IIAC’s recent history. I am pleased to welcome Professor Gillian Leng CBE as the new IIAC Chair and I am sure she will find the role as rewarding as I have.

About IIAC

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is a non-departmental public body established under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act 1946, which came into effect on 5 July 1948. The Council provides independent advice to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in Great Britain and the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland on matters relating to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and its administration.

About Professor Gillian Leng CBE

Gillian is a clinician by background, with a passion for using evidence to improve care. She joined NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in 2001 to establish its clinical guidelines programme. In 2020, she became only its second CEO. She led the development of a new 5-year strategy and set out updated methods and processes to put NICE at the forefront of evaluating new technologies and to deliver dynamic living guidelines for frontline staff.

She is now the President at the Royal Society of Medicine, and a non-executive director for the Department of Science Innovation and Technology. She retains her interest in the use of high-quality evidence and is a trustee of the Cochrane Collaboration and a Council member of Alive, the international Alliance for Living Evidence. In 2024 she was asked by government to lead an independent review into the roles of Physician and Anaesthesia Associates.

IIAC Chair

Professor Gillian Leng CBE takes up her 5-year appointment as IIAC Chair from 1 April 2025.

Professor Gillian Leng CBE is entitled to an annual remuneration of £22,000, reflecting a time commitment of approximately 60 days per year.