Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:
Under Sir David Nicholson’s leadership, NHS waiting times have fallen, infection rates reduced, and mixed sex accommodation is at an all-time low.
His job has often been incredibly complex and very difficult, and yet he has always had a reputation for staying calm, and maintaining a relentless focus on what makes a difference on the NHS frontline.
I am also grateful to him for overseeing the successful setting up of NHS England and giving us an orderly period in which to select his successor.
Sir David Nicholson will retire as Chief Executive of NHS England in March 2014.