News / HFMA stalwarts recognised in Queen’s honours

Two leading lights from the
NHS finance community and HFMA honorary fellows have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Former HFMA president Tony Whitfield (right) has been awarded an OBE for services to the NHS. Mr Whitfield was association president in 2013 and recently stepped down as finance director of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

Louise Shepherd, a former NHS finance director
and currently chief executive of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (right), was also awarded a CBE for services to healthcare.

Mr Whitfield spent 34 years working in NHS finance, including 25 as a finance director, and was involved in a number of national programmes and activities.

Passionate about the potential for costing data in the NHS to inform improvement and transformation, he led the HFMA’s early work to support the adoption of patient-level costing. An early proponent of the need to develop new models of care, and an enthusiastic supporter of finance skills development, as association president he encouraged a better mutual understanding between clinicians and finance practitioners. 

Mr Whitfield said he was ‘touched and surprised’ by the award. ‘It is particularly moving to realise that people have nominated me for this honour,’ he said. 

‘I am delighted and humbled by it and I know that it is also recognition of the teams I have worked with and of the wider finance community. The NHS involves a team of people working on the frontline and in support services, and finance has a significant role to play in that overall team.’

A former finance director at the Countess of Chester NHS Trust, Ms Shepherd joined Alder Hey in 2008 from Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, where she was also chief executive. She was made an honorary fellow of the HFMA in 2008 to recognise significant contributions to the association at branch and national level, including a spell as national honorary treasurer. 

HFMA chief executive Mark Knight said the awards were fully deserved. ‘I’m absolutely delighted that two honorary fellows of HFMA have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list,’ he said. ‘Both Louise and Tony have made an enormous contribution to the NHS and to the association.