The NPA today (September 4) said that Mr Rees, who is currently chief executive of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), will begin his new role leading the organisation from November 27.
He replaces Mark Lyonette, who announced his plans to retire in 2024 earlier this year after spending five years in the role.
The NPA said that Mr Lyonette will remain at the organisation “for some weeks” after Mr Rees joins “to ensure a smooth handover”.
Read more: NPA chief executive Mark Lyonette to step down
Prior to the seven years Mr Rees spent at the RCPsych, he worked as a journalist for The Times, Sunday Telegraph and BBC national network news, according to the NPA.
He then moved into communications and co-led several successful campaigns – including a “right to roam” campaign at the Ramblers Association and a campaign against pre-payment meter tariffs at the National Housing Federation - it said.
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After working in several other communications positions, including as head of communications at the Home Office, Mr Rees moved into healthcare policy, becoming the director of policy and engagement at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), it added.
Mr Rees joins a recently changed NPA board, with former vice-chair Nick Naye replacing Andrew Lane as chair and Whitworth Chemists managing director and superintendent pharmacist Jay Badenhorst taking over as vice-chair earlier this year.
“Absolutely delighted”
Mr Rees said that he was “absolutely delighted to be joining the brilliant team at the NPA” and would “relish the opportunity to serve our hard-working members, who deliver vital patient care and other important services in communities right across the UK”.
“I look forward to working with [Mr Lyonette] during the handover period and with the NPA board and staff team over the coming years,” he added.
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Reflecting on Mr Lyonette’s time with the organisation, Mr Kaye thanked him “for his great work as chief executive since 2018” and added that “he still has plenty of work to do at the NPA before his well-earned retirement”.
“We are looking forward to welcoming [Mr Rees] to the NPA, after a rigorous recruitment process identified him as an excellent fit for our organisation,” he said.
