Former Principal of Somerville, Dame Fiona Caldicott, has been included in the Health Service Journal’s (HSJ) inaugural Inspirational Women list.

The HSJ Inspirational Women list celebrates outstanding leaders or generous mentors who are driving change and innovation in service redesign or at the heart of influencing health policy. The list contains women from clinical or non-clinical backgrounds who stand out for their passion and ability to innovate and drive change.

All the women on the list were nominated by HSJ readers and come from clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, and many areas of the industry. Nominees were asked to meet one of more of the following criteria:

Delivering outstanding leadership
Sharing knowledge and expertise with others in the sector
Acting as a role model/mentor to colleagues
Driving innovation in service redesign and/or research
At the heart of shaping or influencing policy

A panel of 15 judges selected the most outstanding nominees for the inaugural list, supported by Barclays and the NHS Leadership Academy.

A reception to celebrate women’s success in healthcare was hosted by Alastair McLellan, Editor of HSJ. He said: “HSJ’s Inspirational Women list shows that great leadership can be demonstrated at all levels and in a wide range of settings.

“It was not enough to be influential. The judges were clear that they were looking for people who live the values they espouse – the authentic leaders.”

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