UHNM Chief Nurse Ann-Marie Awarded OBE in New Year Honours List

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) is proud to announce that its Chief Nurse, Ann-Marie Riley, has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List, in recognition of her exceptional contribution to nursing leadership, inclusion and patient care.

Ann-Marie is widely recognised as an inspirational clinical leader, dedicated to continuous improvement for patients, staff and the wider healthcare system. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that patients – and the patient voice – are embedded at the heart of the NHS and UHNM.

Today Ann-Marie said: “I am genuinely shocked and deeply honoured to receive this award. Nursing has always been, and will always be, about patients – listening to them, learning from them and ensuring their voices shape every decision we make. Keeping patients at the heart of everything we do is the most important part of my role, and it is a privilege to serve in that way.

“This recognition is as much for the amazing teams I work with every day as it is for me. It reflects the commitment, compassion and professionalism of the nursing, midwifery and wider clinical teams I have the honour of working alongside every day at UHNM and have worked with across the NHS. Together, we have worked hard to create cultures where people feel valued, supported and able to deliver the very best care for our patients.”

She added: “I remain incredibly proud of our progress at UHNM and grateful to colleagues, patients and partners who continue to challenge us, inspire us and remind us why our work matters.”

Welcoming the announcement, Dr Simon Constable, UHNM Chief Executive said: “Ann-Marie is both an inspirational and thoughtful clinical leader who is dedicated to continuous improvement for our patients, our staff, and beyond. She has worked tirelessly to bring patients and the patient voice into our decision-making processes, and she has utilised her diverse background to drive inclusion.”

Under Ann-Marie’s leadership at UHNM, nursing and midwifery vacancies have reduced, and retention has improved. Through her strong focus on learning, she has developed the Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research and Education Excellence (CeNREE) as well as the Chief Nurse Fellowship Programme.

She has driven Care Quality Commission improvements with medical care and maternity services rated as good from requires improvement. More significantly, County Hospital, formerly Mid Staffordshire Hospital, has moved from an overall requires improvement rating to good – a milestone not achieved for over a decade.

Her leadership was also instrumental in UHNM being named 2024 Nursing Times Employer of the Year for Nurses and Midwives, with her work now being shared with other regional chief nurses.

Dr Constable added: “Our nursing vacancies have significantly reduced as a direct result of the work Ann-Marie has done above and beyond. This work was key to our success in winning the 2024 Nursing Times Employer of the Year Award for Nurses and Midwives. Importantly, Ann-Marie is now sharing this learning with chief nurses across the region – collaboration and sharing more widely is a key theme of her leadership.”

Nationally, Ann-Marie has been instrumental in the End PJ Paralysis campaign as one of the first nurse leaders to implement the campaign and recognise its benefits for patients. In 2023 she was also awarded Chief Nursing Officer for England Award for the pastoral support provided to international nurses. Since then, she has continued to lead research to support the development of others across UHNM and beyond, and to champion equality, diversity and inclusion more broadly across the profession.

“I am delighted Ann-Marie has received this honour in recognition for her hard work, drive for exemplar standards and true team working - all of which has made a significant impact on how we deliver care at UHNM. She leads with all the right values, to the highest of standards, and fully demonstrates what is powerful, positive and achievable through exceptional nursing leadership,” Dr Constable said.