Stroke pioneer and Chief Nurse named as clinical leaders

Stroke care pioneer Professor Tony Rudd and Chief Nurse Eileen Sills have both been named on the Clinical Leaders 2014 list.

A panel of judges identified the 100 clinicians making the greatest impact on health policy, service transformation and innovation - the list was revealed at an event in London last night (Tuesday 21 October) and is published by Health Service Journal magazine.

The judges said that, as London’s first clinical director for stroke, Professor Rudd brought “common sense” to stroke services in the capital.

He is now NHS England’s national clinical director for stroke while continuing to provide high quality care for Guy’s and St Thomas’ patients as a stroke consultant.

Eileen Sills was ranked 20th in the Clinical Leaders 2014 list. The judges said her work around staff engagement at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is more relevant than ever following the Francis Report into failings at Stafford Hospital.

They praised her emphasis on creating a culture where staff feel confident to raise problems and misgivings. The judges also said that, although being Chief Nurse of such a large and complex trust isn’t easy, Eileen is adept at “taking everyone along”.

Alastair McLellan, Editor of Health Service Journal, says: “The 100 people we have chosen - from across the spectrum - are all leaders, both in their practice and their day to day example.

“But, importantly, for all of them, their clinical backgrounds are vital to the decisions they make, the face they show to the world, even if at a day to day level the job they are doing is far removed from clinical practice.”