Frank Hester is believed to have stepped down as chief govt and resigned his function as sole director of main care IT provider The Phoenix Partnership (TPP).
HSJ reported that paperwork obtainable on Firms Home present that in September 2025 Hester resigned as the one director of TPP, which he based, and was changed by a brand new director named Maria Tomasso.
TPP’s SystmOne digital affected person document (EPR) system is among the most generally used scientific programs in main care and group trusts, holding round 40% of the marketplace for GP scientific software program in England.
In summer time 2025, Hestor’s description on TPP’s web site was modified from “Founder & CEO” to “Founder”, with Charlotte Knowles, a former managing director who has labored for the agency for greater than 20 years, listed as “chief govt officer”.
Hester was embroiled in a race row in March 2024 after The Guardian alleged that he had made racist and misogynistic remarks at a TPP firm assembly, which appeared to incite violence towards the UK’s longest serving black MP Diane Abbott, who’s now an unbiased MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
In a press release, TPP didn’t deny that Hester made the feedback however as an alternative sought to painting them as “impolite” including that Hester was “deeply sorry for his feedback” and condemned racism.
Regardless of the controversy, TPP has continued to safe NHS contracts and extensions, with Sussex Neighborhood NHS Basis Belief awarding a 10-year contract extension for an EPR system from TPP value virtually £6.3 million in August 2024.
The belief instructed Digital Well being Information that it had “sought assurance from TPP relating to their equality, range and inclusion insurance policies.”
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Belief additionally confirmed in Could 2025 that TPP had been chosen to produce its new EPR following a “rigorous tender course of”.
In the meantime, on the Digital Well being Rewired 2024 occasion in March 2024, attendees who have been offended by Hester’s alleged feedback have been urged to signal an open letter condemning racism and discrimination and pledging dedication to develop an ‘fairness constitution’ for the digital well being trade.
The Fairness Constitution, co-founded by Ayesha Rahim, scientific lead for digital psychological well being, Transformation Directorate at NHS England, Victoria Betton, director at Peopledotcom and Hassan Chaudhury, formally launched at Digital Well being Rewired 2025 in March, sharing 10 ideas to deal with discrimination within the sector.
In a joint assertion, the Fairness Constitution co-founders mentioned: “There’s a lot potential for good in our sector, and a lot want to do the best factor for society normally.
“It feels flawed to focus an excessive amount of on the behaviour of a single particular person, nevertheless egregious. What’s most attention-grabbing to us is how this episode has pushed our sector to interact with what fairness actually means.
“The Fairness Constitution is a constructive motion, targeted on digital well being fairness, and its hyperlink to lowering inequalities.”
It’ll maintain its inaugural group of follow occasion in London on 10 November 2025.
Digital Well being Information contacted TPP for remark.
