ICB boss and chief nurse awarded top honours

An integrated care board chair who was previously the Department of Health’s finance lead, and a long-serving chief nurse, were among those named in the King’s birthday honours list.

Richard Douglas, who was director general of finance and group operations at the Department of Health between 2007 and 2015, received a knighthood; while Janice Sigsworth, Imperial College Healthcare Trust chief nurse, was made a dame.

Sir Richard is chair of the South East London Integrated Care Board, whose system is reeling from a cyberattack on its pathology IT provider and grappling with financial deficits. Professor Sigsworth joined Imperial in 2008, having previously been deputy director of nursing at the Department of Health.

Rob Behrens, head of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman from 2017 until March this year, was also given a knighthood.

Laura Serrant, former regional head of nursing and midwifery, workforce training, and education for the North East and Yorkshire region, was given a CBE; as was Emily Holzhausen, director of policy and public affairs for Carers UK.

And chief nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Karen Bonner, was given an OBE. Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation Trust director of midwifery Rachel Carter was given the same honour for services to maternity and women’s health; as was Jeanelle De Gruchy, who is a deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health and Social Care, and previously president of the Association of Directors of Public Health.

Former Frimley Health FT chair Pradip Patel – who chaired Frimley Health for seven years – and Amar Shah, chief quality officer at East London FT, also received OBEs.