Sir Leonard Harry Peach (17 December 1932 – 5 August 2016) was Chief Executive of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

from 1986 to 1989. He was born in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is t ...

in December 1932 to Henry and Beatrice Peach as the eldest of six children, one of whom died at a young age. After the Second World War he was enlisted for National Service, achieving the rank of Second Lieutenant in the infantry. He then studied history at

Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located at Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale, and was named aft ...

. He was subsequently sponsored by his employer, John Thompsons of

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 United ...

, to study management at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 mill ...

and then joined the West Midlands Gas Board. In 1961 he moved to IBM where he rose to be Head of Personnel and Corporate Affairs for the UK. He was President of the Institute of Personnel Management from 1983-85. The NHS Management Board was established by

Norman Fowler Peter Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler, (born 2 February 1938) is a British politician who served as a member of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major's ministries during the 1980s and 1990s. He held the office of Lord Speaker from 1 September 201 ...

as a result of th
Griffiths Report
on NHS. In 1985 he was seconded to the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

as to serve as Director of Personnel on the Board and was appointed Chief Executive in November 1986. Announced in the

1989 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in sup ...

, Peach was knighted on 22 November 1989. He returned to IBM in 1989 and when he retired in 1992 he became Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority and later Commissioner for Public Appointments. Sir Leonard Peach died on 5 August 2016 at the age of 83.Profile
telegraph.co.uk; accessed 9 August 2016.

References

1932 births 2016 deaths Alumni of Pembroke College, Oxford Chief Executives of the National Health Service Commissioners for Public Appointments Knights Bachelor People from Walsall {{UK-bio-stub