Dr Donald Berwick has been recruited by healthcare thinktank The King's Fund to help vanguard sites develop more efficient models of care.

Berwick will assist the thinktank in organising a string of events to help the vanguards, which were introduced by NHS England's 'Five year forward view', develop effective leadership.

He is currently president emeritus and senior fellow at the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a lobbying body he founded in 1991.

In 2010, Berwick was also appointed administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by US president Barack Obama, a position he held until December 2011.

He also carried out a review of patient safety, titled 'Improving the safety of patients in England', on behalf of UK prime minister David Cameron in 2013.

Samantha Jones, director of the new care models programme, said: "The vanguards have asked us to support them in developing leadership capability and to help them learn from international experts. We’re delighted to have teamed up with The King’s Fund and Don to put this in place."

The King's Fund chief executive Chris Ham said: "We are delighted that Don is joining the fund. He brings with him unrivalled international experience and expertise in health and health care management. His work with the vanguard sites, and his interactions with other organisations in England, will benefit the wider health service as it grapples with how to develop new models of care built around the needs of patients."

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens set out the vanguard models in his 'Five year forward view'. There are currently five different types of vanguards: integrated primary & acute care systems; multispecialty community providers; enhanced health in care homes; urgent & emergency care and acute care collaboration.