National honour for health trust chief executive

It’s been a big week for Steven Michael, chief executive of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Steven, who has served in the NHS for over 30 years, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to healthcare, and was also recognised in the Health Service Journal’s ‘Care Integration 50’, which identifies the 50 most influential people involved in the integration of health and social care services nationally, ranking Steven in the top 10 at number 6.

Steven began his career as a registered nurse. He joined the Trust 14 years ago when it was the provider of community and mental health services in Wakefield. The Trust now provides community, mental health and learning disability services to the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

Steven’s work at the Trust has been routed in community partnership, encouraging service users, carers and communities to work alongside health and social care providers to help shape services so that they meet local need.

Ian Black, Trust chairman, said: ‘This recognition is hugely deserved. Steven has worked hard to drive agendas in mental health and community care to enable care closer to home, strong partnerships and integration. This has never been more important given the financial challenges faced by health and social care.’

Steven Michael said: ‘It’s a privilege to work in the NHS and to work with so many inspiring people – service users and their families, great staff and partners in local organisations. I am absolutely committed to local services and really value the productive long standing relationships that the Trust has built up. It’s a great honour to be recognised in this way and a reflection of the work of the whole organisation. We will continue to build on our partnerships through, for example, our Creative Minds initiative, Altogether Better and work to transform services with partners in health and social care.’