Warwickshire health chiefs among most influential in England

Two of Warwickshire leading health chiefs have been named in a prestigious annual list of England’s most influential figures.

Glen Burley, chief executive of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Professor Sir Chris Ham, Independent Chair of the Coventry & Warwickshire Health & Care Partnership, both appear in the latest Health Service Journal’s HSJ80 list.

The HSJ80 list is published by the respected Health Service Journal magazine and includes those figures who will exercise the most power or influence in the English NHS and health policy over the next 12 months.

This year’s list, which is intentionally not ranked but arranged in alphabetical order instead, is more diverse than in the past, with women making up 40 per cent, an increase of 10 per cent.

Fifteen per cent of those named on the list are from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background, compared to just a handful in previous years.

Glen Burley, who is also leader of the Coventry & Warwickshire ‘Provider Alliance’ group of hospitals which includes University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) and Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, said: “I am honoured to feature in this list, alongside some very inspiring leaders. I am very proud to be part of the NHS, now more than ever and work with such committed and compassionate colleagues. During COVID-19 we have had to face challenges no one ever anticipated. The NHS response to the pandemic was phenomenal, with innovation really coming to the forefront. We are now at a pivotal point where we have the opportunity to embrace new ways of working and I am excited to be part of a forward thinking health care system in Coventry and Warwickshire, working with staff and partners at all levels to deliver effective, sustainable healthcare for our local communities.”

Professor Sir Chris Ham said: “I’m pleased to be included again in this year’s HSJ list alongside Glen Burley and for our contributions to have received national recognition. Our Health and Care Partnership is working to improve the health of people living in Coventry and Warwickshire and to provide the right care in the right place at the right time. Through collaboration between NHS organisations, councils and the voluntary sector we are further strengthening our services building on the fantastic response to Covid-19.”