NHS England’s chief digital officer has quit to join private sector primary care provider Livi.

News of Juliet Bauer’s departure was greeted with surprise by many, coming as it did just days after the publication of The NHS 10 Year Plan which places considerable emphasis on digital technology.

Bauer was responsible for developing the NHS app, a project dogged by delays and thought by some to be disappointing in terms of functionality. A memo seen by the Health Service Journal last week said she was standing down with “immediate effect”.

Livi is a Swedish-based tech company offering online consultation, diagnosis and prescription and Bauer will have responsibility for developing NHS and other partnerships across Europe.

Luke Buhl-Nielsen, Country Director of LIVI UK said: "We are incredibly excited to have Juliet join the LIVI team. Her unrivalled experience within NHS England and the wider Health and Social Care Digital Transformation program during a period of unprecedented change is invaluable as we work alongside the health service to deliver a digital vision for primary care and transform outcomes for patients everywhere".

Bauer will be replaced on an interim basis by Tara Donnelly, the current chief executive of the Health Innovation Network.

Bauer commented on Twitter that she was “really delighted to hand the baton” over to Donnelly.