Read: Purpose Health Coalition leaders feature in top 50 leaders list

Three NHS Trust CEOs currently working with the Purpose Health Coalition have featured in a list of this year’s top 50 NHS Trust leaders.

The list is compiled annually by the Health Service Journal and has been published for the last eight years. It was judged by leading figures in the health sector who considered criteria that included the CEOs’ performance during the pandemic, their organisation’s overall performance and their contribution to the wider health and social care system.

This year, Tracy Bullock of University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, Glen Burley of South Warwickshire Foundation Trust, Wye Valley Trust and George Eliot Hospital Trust and Siobhan Melia of Sussex Community Foundation Trust each received the accolade. Their inclusion was not just based on how well their individual Trusts performed but on how they as Chief Executives were able to demonstrate the values of the organisations they lead and how they were able to bring both their senior leadership teams and their staff along with them.  

Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, said: “The HSJ’s list recognises that the role of CEOs in an organisation has changed fundamentally. There is now a clear expectation from the public that they will lead them in a way that delivers social good far beyond their core business, for their colleagues, their customers and the communities they serve. This was heightened during the  pandemic when organisations, including NHS Trusts, had to step in and use their knowledge and expertise to address the very immediate challenges it presented.

“The Purpose Health Coalition has been working with NHS Trusts around the country to help spread opportunity and tackle inequality in their region. Their work, together with their staff, partners and suppliers, are key to tackling those inequalities. That means looking after the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they operate but it also extends to providing the right advice and experience to make people aware of the opportunities their organisations can offer as well as a fair recruitment system which is open to anyone regardless of background, and an environment where they can flourish. As the HSJ list acknowledges, collaboration and working with local partners is crucial.

“The Coalition has been working with all three Trusts to develop Impact Reports, outlining their social impact against a set of levelling up measures. The 14 Purpose Goals provide a framework that is designed to focus an organisation’s efforts on driving equality of opportunity at key life stages. South Warwickshire NHS Trust has just published its report - the first NHS organisation to do so - which highlights its best practice and suggests areas where it can go further in making a difference in its local area.

“What the participation of these NHS leaders in the Purpose Health Coalition clearly demonstrates – and justifies their inclusion in the top 50 list - is their commitment to positive change, their ability to bring their senior leadership teams with them and their ability to make a real difference. These qualities were evident during the difficult days of the pandemic and will continue to be needed as we work to deliver equality of opportunity to every part of the country.”