Professor Gillian Leng CBE
Biography
Professor Gillian Leng was appointed chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) on 1 April 2025.
She is President of the Royal Society of Medicine and a non-executive for the Department of Science Innovation and Technology. In 2024 she was tasked by the government to lead an independent review into the roles of Physician and Anaesthesia Associates.
Gillian is a clinician by background, with a passion for using evidence to improve care. Her career has covered a breadth of sectors including public health, healthcare, education and social care. She has worked closely with the life science industries, patient organisations, professional societies, academia, plus local and national government across the United Kingdom. She has chaired national and international boards and committees, bringing comprehensive media experience across a range of complex topics. She joined NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in 2001 to establish its clinical guidelines programme. In 2020, she became only its second CEO.
She is also:
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a trustee of the Cochrane Collaboration, a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers and people interested in health; and
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a Council member of Alive, the international Alliance for Living Evidence.
Chair, IIAC
The chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) leads a committee of 16 members appointed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to:
- update the list of diseases and the occupations that cause them for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit can be paid
- draft papers for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to present in Parliament, when legislative changes to the Industrial Injuries Scheme are proposed
- scrutinise proposed regulations relating to industrial injuries benefit or its administration