Alasdair Liddell (born 15 January 1949) was one of the architects of Britain's health strategy in the 1990s. As Director of Planning at the Department of Health (1994-2000) he led the process of setting national priorities for the National Health Service (NHS). He resigned, reputedly over policy differences with ministers, and now acts as an advisor to health charities like the King's Fund (where he is a Senior Associate) and to health sector companies and consultancies. He is Senior Counsel to Bell Pottinger Group and was non-executive Deputy Chairman of Healthcare Locums plc, effectively taking executive responsibility in early 2011 when the company was found to have financial irregularities leading to the suspension of the company's colourful chief executive Kate Bleasedale.
Liddell was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh, and Balliol College, Oxford (1967-70). He moved from the voluntary sector to health management and as chief of the East Anglian Regional Health Authority he pioneered the Rubber Windmill, a simulation involving large numbers of clinicians, health managers, journalists and others over several days, which tested (and found wanting) the government's plans to introduce internal markets to the NHS. The Windmill was highly influential and led to changes in the government's approach. Liddell's simulation idea has since been used repeatedly to assess the impact of the market-based reforms, notably for the King's Fund in 2007.
As Director of Planning at the Department of Health Liddell had Board level responsibility for strategy, NHS information and IT, NHS Communications, and a number of key policy areas. After the 1997 election he led the team supporting Ministers in laying the foundations for much of current government policy for the NHS. He was awarded the CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1997 for services to the NHS.
He is married to Dame Jenny Abramsky with whom he has two children.