HFMA 2022: Ehrhardt takes top finance award

The top healthcare finance accolade was announced during the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s annual awards ceremony in London, which is held during the HFMA annual conference.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the country’s largest trusts, running 10 hospitals with a turnover of £2.5bn. Ms Ehrhardt (pictured) was appointed in May 2020 after an eight-month period as deputy chief finance officer. She has overseen investment in a new electronic patient record, the acquisition of North Manchester General Hospital and moved the trust to working day 1 finance reporting.

Judges described Ms Ehrhardt as ‘highly talented’ and said she was held in high regard by her peers and colleagues.

In other awards, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust was presented with the Costing Award – the second time it has won the prize, having first been singled out by judges back in 2013. In individual categories, Kay Wiss from Stockport NHS Foundation Trust was named Deputy Finance Director of the Year, while Ruth Williamson, deputy chief medical officer at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust was given the Working with Finance – Clinician of the Year Award.

There were two new awards for 2022. In the first of these, the Environmental Sustainability Award, the East of England productivity and efficiency group together with PrescQIPP Community Interest Company were the inaugural winners. The Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee won the second new prize – the Addressing Health Inequalities through Finance Action Award.

HFMA Awards 2022  

Finance Director of the Year

Winner: Jenny Ehrhardt, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Deputy Finance Director of the Year

Winner: Kay Wiss, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Finance Team of the Year

Winner: Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System

Working with Finance – Clinician of the Year Award

Winner: Ruth Williamson, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Costing Award

Winner: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Governance award

Winner: Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board

Delivering Value with Digital Technologies Award

Winner: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Havelock Award (training)

Winner: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Diversity and Inclusion Award

Winner: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Environmental Sustainability Award

Winner: East of England productivity and efficiency group and PrescQIPP CIC

Addressing Health Inequalities through NHS Finance Action award

Winner: Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC)