News / Webster scoops HFMA Finance Director of the Year Award (HFMA 2010 latest)

Steve Webster, director of finance at North Bristol NHS Trust, was named Finance Director of the Year at last night’s Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards 2010. The awards recognise achievement in heath service management with a particular focus on finance.

Mr Webster (pictured) was one of seven winners at the awards ceremony, held during the HFMA's annual conference in central London. The award acknowledged his role in turning around a deficit, which at £45m in 2002/03 was the largest ever recorded in the NHS, and his work with commissioners to overcome financial challenges. He played a central role in the trust’s £500m private finance initiative (PFI) hospital reaching financial close in February, despite difficult market conditions. Mr Webster becomes the fourth recipient of the award, which was launched in 2007.

At the ceremony, awards were made to organisations, teams and individuals, recognising achievements in financial reporting, efficiency, and governance. A new award honouring the contribution of deputy directors of finance was given to Elaine Konieczny of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The award recognised her tireless efforts to develop her finance department and maintain and improve financial control at a time when much of the trust’s attention has been focused on a new PFI hospital.

The HFMA also honoured its Clinician of the Year, an award that recognises clinicians’ engagement with the finance agenda. This year it was won by Mr Philip Thomas of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Mr Thomas, a consultant urologist, has been the trust’s clinical chief of finance since 2008, providing a clinical perspective on its efficiency programme, chairing its business case and investment group and leading the service line reporting programme.

HFMA president Paul Assinder, who sat on a number of judging panels and presented the awards, said the HFMA Awards were an opportunity to ‘celebrate excellence in finance departments' and showcase best practice.

‘By showcasing the best of NHS finance, our awards aspire to highlight and spread best practice. The economic climate means that future financial settlements for the NHS will be much tighter than in the last decade. However the demand for further service improvement and enhanced quality is ever present. Quality, innovation, productivity and prevention, built on a solid base of good governance, will be the key to success and examples of best practice should be shared as widely as possible,’ he added.

The HFMA awards have been running since 2004 and are the most comprehensive awards programme for healthcare financial management and governance. In total, 24 organisations and individuals were shortlisted for the seven awards.

The full list of winners follows.

Finance Director of the Year
Sponsored by: Public Sector Consultants

WINNER - Steve Webster from North Bristol NHS Trust

Also shortlisted: Jeremy Cook – Barnet, Enfield and Haringey MH NHS Trust, Keith Griffiths – Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS FT, Nora Ann Heery – University of South Manchester NHS FT

Accounts Team of the Year
Sponsored by: KPMG

WINNER - NHS Bournemouth and Poole

Also shortlisted: 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS FT, ABM University Health Board

Efficiency Award
Sponsored by: Tribal

WINNER - Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS FT

Also shortlisted: University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS FT

Governance Award
Sponsored by: ACCA

WINNER - Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust / Audit South West

Also shortlisted: Audit South West / Urgent Health UK Ltd, NHS National Services Scotland, York Teaching Hospital NHS FT

Havelock Training Award
Sponsored by: CIMA

WINNER - NHS Central Lancashire

Also shortlisted: Newham University NHS Trust, Yorkshire & the Humber FSD Team

Working with Finance - Clinician of the Year

WINNER – Philip Thomas - Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

Also shortlisted: Fiona Jackson – Barnet Community Services, Roger Tillman – The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS FT, Mahmood Adil – Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS FT

Deputy Finance Director of the Year

WINNER – Elaine Konieczny - Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust

Also shortlisted: Andy Ray – Basildon & Thurrock University Hospital NHS FT, Simon Covill – Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust