Draft:Professor Tim Orchard

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Professor Tim Orchard
Occupations	Physician, academic, healthcare executive
Employer	North West London Acute Provider Group
Known for	Chief executive roles in NHS organisations

Professor Tim Orchard is a British physician, academic and healthcare executive. He has served as chief executive of the North West London Acute Provider Group since 1 April 2026. He previously served as chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust from June 2018 to 2026.

Orchard is a consultant physician and Professor of Gastroenterology at Imperial College London, with a clinical and academic focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Early life and education

Orchard was born at Charing Cross Hospital in London. He was educated at Trinity School, Croydon. He studied medicine at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, before completing his clinical training at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School.

He later undertook doctoral research at the University of Oxford under Professor Derek Jewell in inflammatory bowel disease.

Medical and academic career

Orchard joined Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as a registrar in 2000. He subsequently held senior leadership roles including divisional director for medicine and integrated care and acting medical director.

Alongside his clinical work, Orchard has contributed to research and teaching in gastroenterology, particularly in inflammatory bowel disease.

He has also written on healthcare policy and infrastructure. In a 2023 article in the New Statesman, he argued that deteriorating hospital estates were affecting patient care.

Chief executive roles

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (2018–2026)

Orchard was appointed chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in June 2018.

During his tenure, he led the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, he was cited in The Guardian describing pressures on NHS services ahead of a second wave.

In 2021, he warned of a “perfect storm” of rising COVID-19 cases, increasing emergency demand and staff exhaustion affecting London hospitals.

He stated that accident and emergency departments were experiencing levels of demand typically seen during winter periods.

During this period, the Trust reported improvements in workforce and organisational performance over successive years, as set out in its annual reports.

Orchard was also associated with plans for the redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. In media coverage, he stated that parts of the hospital estate required significant investment or replacement.

He has also contributed to discussions on international health system responses to the pandemic, including work with the Health Foundation.

In 2023, he served as Chair of the Shelford Group.

North West London Acute Provider Group (from 2026)

On 1 April 2026, Orchard became chief executive and accountable officer of the North West London Acute Provider Group, comprising four NHS trusts in north west London.

In an interview with the Health Service Journal, he stated that expectations for rapid turnaround of underperforming NHS organisations were often unrealistic.

He has also been included in rankings of NHS chief executives by the Health Service Journal.

Selected publications

• Orchard, T.R. et al. (2000). Gastroenterology.
• Orchard, T.R. et al. (2002). Gastroenterology.
• Orchard, T.R. et al. (2009). Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
• Williams, H.R. et al. (2009). American Journal of Gastroenterology.
• Walker, D.G. et al. (2013). Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Category:British physicians Category:British healthcare executives Category:Living people