We have received the sad news that Professor Sir Michael Rawlins GBE has passed away at the age of 81.
Sir Michael was a leading figure in healthcare in the UK, and everyone at the HRA would like to express our condolences to Sir Michael's family and friends.
Professor Sir Michael Rawlins GBE
Sir Michael was the founding chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) from 1999 to 2013 and chair of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) from 2014 to 2020.
He was knighted in the 1999 Queen’s New Year Honours for services to the improvement of patient protection from the side effects of medicines.
In 2017 he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for services to the safety of medicines, healthcare and innovation.
Responding to the news Matt Westmore, Health Research Authority Chief Executive said:
Matt Westmore“Sir Michael’s influence on evidence based healthcare in general, and the role of research in particular, is deep and wide.
“Amongst the many things we are grateful to Sir Michael for, is his chairing of the Academy of Medical Sciences review that led to the establishment of the Health Research Authority in 2011, and his continued support of us during our 10th anniversary reflections last year.
“Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Sir Michael’s friends and family.
“Whilst this is a difficult and sad time, we also hope this is a time for great pride in acknowledging the huge difference Sir Michael made throughout his distinguished career.”