Chief Executive awarded honorary degree by the University of Birmingham
Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, has received an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham.
Sarah-Jane, who at the time of her appointment in 2009 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital was the youngest Chief Executive in the history of the NHS, joined six other honorary graduates and students, including colleagues from the Trust, in collecting their degrees at a prestigious event on Monday 10 July in the University’s iconic Great Hall.
After receiving her Doctor of the University award from Chancellor of the University, Lord Bilimoria, she said:
“I am honoured and privileged to become a Doctor of the University which holds such a special place in my heart – and standing side by side with hundreds of NHS colleagues who graduated from their leadership masters’ made it even more special.
“However, this honour recognises the amazing work of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s and therefore belongs to each and every one of the outstanding 6,000 staff I have the joy of leading. It is these amazing people who make the real difference to the lives of so many children, women and families across the country – and they are the true stars.”
Sarah-Jane has had a longstanding relationship with the University having studied for her MA in Russian and East European Studies in 2000, and then an MSc in Health Care Management in 2005 through the Health Services Management Centre, as part of her NHS Graduate Management Scheme programme.
Director of the University’s Health Services Management Centre, Professor Judith Smith added:
“HSMC has been proud to be part of the delivery of the educational components of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme over many years. We are always delighted when our former trainees assume senior management roles, and Sarah-Jane’s outstanding leadership of women and children’s health services in Birmingham is a credit to her commitment, hard work and passion for the NHS.”
Since graduating from the University of Birmingham, Sarah- Jane’s career has progressed rapidly. She was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in December 2007 and then Chief Executive Officer in March 2009. Under her leadership, the Trust was named Provider Trust of the Year by the Health Service Journal in 2015, and was rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission in February 2017 – the first Trust of its kind to receive such a rating.
Sarah-Jane took on the additional role of Chief Executive at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust in 2015 before leading on the integration to create the first Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Europe when the new united organisation officially went live in February this year.