Hospital director wins national finance award
A director at the trust running Princess Royal Hospital in Telford has been handed a national award for her contribution to healthcare finance.
Carol McInnes, Director of Planning and Transformation at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), was named Finance Champion of the Year at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards.
The award recognises individuals who stand out for dedication and initiatives within their organisation.
Carol has led financial recovery work at the trust since November 2024 and has worked on transformation and cost improvements.
She joined SaTH in 2016 as Director of Operations for Medicine and Emergency Care, having started her career as a specialist nurse in 2009.
In her current role, Carol works with colleagues to identify projects which improve efficiency while maintaining patient safety.
The judges praised Carol’s “skill and humility in engaging people in the critical work of recovery, transformation and cost improvement”.
They added that she is a “role model who is driving momentum and growing optimism for the future” and an “exceptional finance champion”.
SaTH’s Deputy Chief Nurse, Kara Blackwell, was also highly commended in the Working with Finance – Clinician of the Year category.
Carol and her team have built relationships with partners and have been asked to share their learning with other NHS providers.
Carol said: “This award is recognition for the whole team and all that it has achieved over the last few years. SaTH is heading in the right direction and it’s great to see this progress being showcased on a national stage.”
Adam Winstanley, Acting Director of Finance, said: “I’m delighted that Carol has been recognised with a national award for her hard work and dedication – it is a huge achievement which is thoroughly deserved.
“As a Trust we have a responsibility to achieve financial stability whilst delivering the best, safest care for our patients.
“Getting the balance right is challenging, but we are moving in the right direction and have made £24.9m of efficiency savings so far this year. We are currently on track to meet our target of £41.4m for 2025/26.
“I am really proud of colleagues like Carol, who are working hard behind the scenes to support teams and add value for our patients.”
