Sir Andrew Dillon has announced his intention to stand down as chief executive at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Sir Andrew began his career at NICE in April 1999 as founding chief, and has gone on to complete 21 years of service. He said it had been "a privilege to lead the organisation through its first two decades”.

“NICE has made a significant contribution to improving outcomes for people using the health and care services, and to the efficient use of resources. I feel very proud to be associated with those achievements,” he added. He will leave the position at the end of March 2020.

NICE’s Chair Sir David Haslam, said: “The role of chief executive of NICE must be one of the most challenging and potentially controversial in British public life.

“Sir Andrew has carried out this role for 20 enormously successful years, and everyone who knows him – whether in government, the life sciences industry, or in health and social care – is full of admiration for his calm and skillful leadership."

Haslam said Sir Andrew had helped make NICE "an internationally respected, world leading, and hugely influential organisation".

NICE said its board would make arrangements to advertise the post throughout autumn.