Health Education England Chief Nurse honoured with alumni award

Mark Radford, Chief Nurse and Deputy CEO at Health Education England, is set to be honoured with an award for services to the NHS by Birmingham City University.

Mark will be presented with the Alumni of the Year Award as part of the Birmingham City University health, education and life sciences graduation ceremony on 11 July.

Mark is currently the Chief Nurse at Health Education England as well as the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England at NHS England.

He has helped lead the national nursing response to COVID-19, supported delivery of the national vaccine programme and other nursing workforce policy in education and practice. He was awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours List in 2022.

Mark qualified from Birmingham City University (BCU) as a registered nurse on the BSc programme in 1994 and has worked in anaesthetics, pre-operative assessment, perioperative care, critical care and A&E. He returned to BCU to undertake post graduate study in advanced nursing practice and subsequently his PhD. 

He was a Consultant Nurse in Perioperative Emergency Care and expertise developed in a range of areas including perioperative hypothermia, emergency surgery management advanced nursing practice and nurse prescribing.  

He is also a Professor of Nursing at Birmingham City University, and Coventry University, with research covering emergency care models, advanced practice, staffing, risk modelling, clinical decision-making, expertise and sociological issues in healthcare. Mark is currently working with Staffordshire University on research on nurse and paramedic retention.

Mark said: “I am a bit shocked but absolutely delighted to be recognised by my university.  As one of its alumni, the University and the city has given me so much in my career and personal perspective.  From those early days in Perry Barr campus, I have seen the University continue from strength to strength with the phenomenal opportunity to change lives through education, as it did with me.”