London, 03 November 2022 – GS1 UK is pleased to announce that Professor Sir Terence Stephenson, Chair of the Health Research Authority for England, has been appointed as President.
His appointment reflects GS1 UK’s commitment to driving the adoption of standards across the four nations to keep patients and consumers informed and protected.
A leading healthcare figure, Sir Terence was knighted in 2018 for services to healthcare and children's health services and has dedicated much of his career to improving patient safety.
He has previously served as Chair of the UK General Medical Council, Chair of the UK Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and as President of the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Sir Terence is currently Nuffield Professor of Child Health at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London and chair of the Health Research Authority for England.
In 2014, he led the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s review on medical devices and, in April 2022, was selected as a National Institute of Health Research Senior Investigator.
In these roles, he has worked with five Secretaries of State for Health and Westminster governments of three different parties and has published over 330 peer reviewed papers, commentaries and book chapters.
He was a founding member of the GS1 UK Healthcare Advisory Board and has played a crucial role in helping GS1 UK drive the strategic direction of standards adoption in healthcare to improve patient safety.
He has led numerous UK delegations at global conferences to promote the use, cases and benefits of GS1 standards, most notably in Chicago and New Delhi where he led peer-to-peer clinical conversations, including with the chief healthcare advisor to the Prime Minister of India.
Sir Terence succeeds The Right Honourable Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath. During the course of his highly successful nine-year term, Lord Hunt’s breadth of knowledge and work with senior influencers across healthcare and other industry sectors has created numerous opportunities for collaboration, provided expert guidance and thought leadership.
Commenting on his appointment, Sir Terence said, “Having witnessed the power of GS1 standards first hand, I look forward to working with the GS1 UK team to build on their recent successes. Collaboration and trusted data are essential for powering progress, driving efficiencies and improving safety, not only within healthcare but in many industries from retail to construction.
"Innovative projects such as the recent Scan4Safety initiative have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that standards can and do enable the delivery of better and safer services, improved productivity and supply chain efficiency. I am eager to support GS1 UK as it takes the next steps in delivering these benefits to both industry and the public."
Reflecting on his term as president, Lord Hunt said, “I am incredibly proud of the role I have played in helping GS1 UK engage with industry at a new level, both within healthcare and beyond. Our collaboration with government and industry on pioneering initiatives such as Scan4Safety is driving lasting generational change and a clear pathway for the future. It has been incredibly rewarding to see how our work has supported the successes of our members and driven positive change in the real world.
“I am grateful to both Anne and Sir Terence for their all support and am pleased that our work together will continue as I advise GS1 UK as a member of the UK healthcare advisory board.”
Chris Tyas OBE, Chair of GS1 UK said; “I would like to thank Lord Hunt for all he has done to champion GS1 UK and the adoption of standards. Over the course of his nine-year term, our membership has grown by 100 per cent, expanding to reflect the diverse challenges and success of UK plc. Lord Hunt’s guidance, stewardship and a mentoring have played a defining role in the evolution of our organisation as we developed our proposition beyond procurement and supply chain management, using trusted data to transform the way people work and live.
“I welcome Sir Terence and look forward to working together on our blueprint for agreements and implementation commencements across the four nations. Sir Terence has been an incredible asset to our organisation and his first-hand experience of the power of GS1 standards will be a great support to GS1 UK and our members as we adapt to shifting industry dynamics, legislative change and new consumer demands.”
About GS1 UK
Whether online, in store or in a hospital, the common language of GS1 global standards is helping our community of more than 58,000 organisations across the UK to uniquely identify, describe and track anything, creating greater trust in data for everyone.
From product barcodes to patient wristbands, GS1 standards have been transforming the way we work and live for nearly 50 years.
GS1 UK is one of 116 neutral and independent GS1 organisations operating worldwide.