Frances Duffy Chair

Frances was a career Senior Civil Servant and retired in October 2021.

She has held a number of senior posts within both the Scottish and Welsh Governments, advising Ministers on a number of key areas, including housing, transport and health.

In her last post as Director of Primary Care and Health Sciences, she was accountable for driving forward the reform of primary care in Wales. This is an ambitious programme of change and reform, focussed on greater service integration across all primary care services, General Practice, Dentistry, Optometry, Pharmacy and Community health services. The aim is to bring care closer to home , promote health and well- being promote innovation in healthcare and accelerate technology adoption.

Frances previously worked in transport policy and delivery, as Director of Transport for the Welsh Government and before that, Director of Strategy and Investment, and then Director of Rail for Transport Scotland. In those roles Frances was responsible for large portfolios of investment, in road, rail and public transport; setting strategic investment priorities, overseeing project delivery and management of the Rail Franchises.

Frances initially joined the Civil Service as a trainee Inspector of Taxes, and specialised in large business corporation tax and the life insurance sector. When the new Scottish Parliament was set up, Frances worked on the implementation of the Scottish Variable Tax powers and then moved to the Scottish Government, where she worked on housing policy before moving to transport policy.

Frances was educated in Scotland and holds a BA Business degree from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. She has successfully completed the Major Projects Leadership Academy programme, run by Oxford University Said Business School and the UK Government Cabinet Office and was an accredited IPA Gateway Reviewer.