London's 1000 most influential people 2012: Innovators, Medics

London might not be Silicon Valley but it is gaining a reputation as a technology hub, with thousands of start-ups heading to the East End — dubbed Tech City. The capital’s rich history of innovation in science and medicine means there is a fantastic eco-system in place to support this brave new world of ideas.
MEDICS Harpel Kumar Photo: Getty Images
8 November 2012

Harpal Kumar
Cancer Research UK chief executive
NEW ENTRY
Cambridge and Harvard-educated Kumar is leading the fight to raise awareness and, after five years in the job, says CRUK is making progess, with cancer rates set to drop by 17 per cent by 2030. A former McKinsey management consultant and ex-chief executive of the Papworth Trust, Kumar has a rare understanding of medicine and business.

Dame Sally Davies
Chief Medical Officer
The Government’s principal medical adviser has a challenging role, cutting costs while trying not to compromise on patient care, and facing a sometimes sceptical public. She is an advocate of downsizing hospitals to provide “Tesco Metro-style” surgeries throughout the capital. Her latest campaign is to encourage mothers to give their babies the whooping cough vaccine.

Sir Andrew Dillon
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence chief executive
Advising on which medications should be funded is a difficult role as budgets are squeezed but he has a wealth of experience in the industry. The head of the drugs rationing body has worked in the NHS for 37 years, holding a number of senior management positions including general manager of the Royal Free Hospital.

Laurence Buckman
British Medical Association chair of the GP committee
The doctor’s doctor. As chair of the BMA’s GP committee, he looks after the interests of the country’s 40,000 doctors, and is known for aggressively fighting their corner. He has warned that the NHS is “being cut to the bone” and says he couldn’t do his job if he wasn’t a doctor first. His own practice is in Barnet.

Sir Terry Pratchett
Right-to-die campaigner and author
NEW ENTRY
A hugely important voice in the debate on euthanasia. Since his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, this prolific novelist has had two books out, started work on two more and made two television documentaries. He is a tireless campaigner and was dismayed at the case of Tony Nicklinson, the severely disabled man who lost his campaign to end his life.

Sir Andrew Witty
GlaxoSmithKline chief executive
Head of Britain’s biggest drug firm, this summer he oversaw the most extensive anti-doping operation in the history of the Olympics from GSK’s Brentwood laboratory. Witty wants to show pharmaceutical giants can be friendly. He is a champion of providing affordable drugs in countries with the lowest incomes and is planning to make data from GSK’s clinical trials available to the scientific community.

Chris Ham
King’s Fund chief executive
Working as an adviser to the World Health Organisation and as a consultant for governments all over the world has given Ham extensive expertise. As head of this influential think tank, he works on shaping health policy and transforming services. He has been awarded a CBE for his services to the NHS.

Katharine Murphy
Patients Association chief executive
Irish-born former nurse turned NHS management trainee is passionate about making sure that the patient’s voice is heard and has been at the forefront of efforts to improve healthcare in England. Spoke out after recent revelations showed elderly patients were receiving shockingly poor treatment in some NHS hospitals and criticised ousted ex-Tory Health Secretary Andrew Lansley for producing only “rhetoric”.

Lord Darzi
Imperial College professor of surgery
After a spell in politics, as health minister in Gordon Brown’s government, this leading surgeon went back to working full time at Imperial College. He is a specialist in the field of minimally invasive surgery and has pioneered many ground-breaking robotic techniques.

Sir Mark Walport
Wellcome Trust director
NEW ENTRY
Director of London’s foremost scientific charitable research body for nearly a decade but his leadership is as admired for its financial model, which means the trust generates an income from its shrewd range of investments. Sir Mark is a famed immunologist and rheumatologist who is a former professor of medicine at Imperial College London, where he pioneered research into immunology and the genetics of rheumatic diseases.

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