GIRFT leaders have paid tribute to the programme’s clinical lead for gynaecology – David Richmond – as he retires from GIRFT after seven years.
Professor Tim Briggs, GIRFT programme lead and NHS England National Director for Clinical Improvement, Elective Recovery and UEC, said:
“We are very sorry to see David go, and thank him for his years of service to GIRFT – from support with authoring our national report for maternity and gynaecology to, more recently, driving forward important guidance to improve gynaecological care and reduce waiting times. I would personally like to praise him for his dedication to bringing about positive change in the specialty – his successor will have a lot to live up to.”
Rachel Yates, Director of Clinical Improvement (GIRFT) and GIRFT programme co-lead, added:
“David is particularly respected for his rigorous, evidence-led approach, his understanding of the realities faced by frontline services, and his ability to challenge variation constructively while maintaining professional trust. As he retires from the GIRFT programme, we thank him for an exceptional and sustained contribution to women’s health, quality improvement and clinical leadership. His impact has been practical, measured and enduring, and his influence will continue to be felt across the NHS.”
David, a retired consultant in urogynaecology, joined GIRFT in 2018 as a clinical ambassador in the south west region, working with clinicians and senior managers at NHS trusts to improve quality of care in response to the findings of GIRFT specialty deep-dive visits and national report recommendations.
In 2019, he took over as maternity and gynaecology clinical lead when his predecessor Robert Sherwin left to work in New Zealand, and he helped to complete the GIRFT national report for maternity and gynaecology (2021), which made a series of recommendations to support the safety of mothers and their newborn babies, while improving women’s choice and their experience of the NHS.
In more recent years, David has carried out GIRFT’s gynaecology system reviews and worked with cross-specialty stakeholders to create guidance on increasing day case hysterectomy, managing unscheduled bleeding on HRT and to develop the consultant gynaecologist data in the National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP) portal.
David is a highly influential figure in gynaecology whose career spans senior clinical practice, executive leadership and national service improvement. He was medical director of Liverpool Women’s Hospital from 1993 to 2010, alongside his role as consultant gynaecologist and honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool.
His contribution to the profession has extended over more than 20 years with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), culminating in his role as president from 2013 to 2016, where he provided authoritative leadership during a period of significant change in maternity and gynaecology services. His wider national roles included membership of the Better Births report team, the Maternity Transformation Board, and serving as vice chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
In parallel with his executive roles, David has brought experienced clinical insight to board-level leadership as a non-executive director and deputy chair of Birmingham Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, where he has continued to champion high standards of care, strong governance and organisational culture.
On his GIRFT retirement, David said:
"It's been a thoroughly enjoyable journey for the past seven years, and I have so many colleagues to thank for their drive and enthusiasm - above all our head of specialist implementation Carrie Skelton-Hough, who has been quite superb. Her cup has always been half full and she has been positive about almost everything, a true GIRFT ambassador. Without her support I doubt we would have achieved so much.”
