no issue of impropriety or of pressure to dismiss Mr Watkinson." Interim chief executive of NHS England On 7 March 2006 he took over as acting NHS chief executive, following the departure of Sir Nigel Crisp. He held this position until September that year, being succeeded by David Nicholson. Chair and advisory roles In the past he was a member of the NHS Modernisation Board, the National Steering and Advisory Group for Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS and he also served as a member on the Modernisation Action Team on Patient Access which contributed to the NHS Plan. He has undertaken a review of innovation in healthcare, culminating in chairing the Innovation Health and Wealth Board which formed part of the Government strategy for improving the spread of best practice in healthcare. He has published several papers on reviewing and improving the NHS and he co-chaired the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia. Carruthers served on the Department of Health Financial Strategy Steering Group and on the Strategic Health Authorities Chief Executives Reference Group on Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health. He chairs the public service consultancy 2020 Delivery. Chancellor of the University of the West of England In May 2011 it was announced that Carruthers would be taking up the position of Chancellor of the University of the West of England. He was installed as Chancellor in a ceremony on 18 July. Publications Carruthers is Visiting Senior Fellow of the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham, where his published papers include: Improving HImPs: the Early Lessons (ref RR35; I Carruthers, J Shapiro, T Knight) Purchasing in the NHS: The Story so far (1995, ref DP34) (I Carruthers, D Fillingham, C Ham, J James) Doctors in Unit Management (ref HS16, I Carruthers, G Page, D White) Options for strengthening Unit management. The implications for personnel, financial and functional management, planning, monitoring and communications (1982; ref HS13) (I Carruthers, C Fewtrell, D White) Reviewing the strength of Unit nursing management: An audit approach (1981; ref HS12) Honours Carruthers received an OBE in 1997, and a knighthood in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to the NHS. In 2009 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc) from the University of the West of England. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) by the University of Bristol in July 2011.