Dr Elizabeth Aitken is a highly experienced Consultant Physician in General and Geriatric Medicine, with almost 30 years of consultant practice and more than two decades in senior clinical leadership roles across the NHS.
A graduate of King’s College Hospital, University of London, Dr Aitken has built an extensive career spanning frontline clinical care, executive medical leadership, service transformation, and quality improvement. She has held several senior NHS leadership positions, including Chief Medical Officer for a large District General Hospital Trust serving two acute hospitals and community services. She has also served as Deputy Medical Director and Clinical Quality Lead within an Integrated Care Board, providing strategic leadership for quality, safety, and clinical governance across health systems.
Nationally, Dr Aitken was appointed Clinical Director for Community Diagnostic Centres for NHS England London Region, where she led the development and implementation of diagnostic services designed to improve access, reduce waiting times, and support earlier diagnosis for patients across London.
Throughout her career, Dr Aitken has maintained a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. Her professional interests include patient safety, clinical quality improvement, population health, and reducing health inequalities. She has been particularly focused on addressing inequities in access to elective care and surgery, ensuring that healthcare services are designed to meet the needs of diverse populations and achieve better outcomes for all patients.
Combining extensive clinical expertise with executive leadership experience, Dr Aitken brings a unique perspective on healthcare quality, system improvement, and patient care, supporting organisations and individuals to achieve the highest standards of clinical excellence.