Chief Nurse from Stoke Newington made Dame in Queen’s New Year Honours

Eileen Sills

A chief nurse from Stoke Newington has been made a dame in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.

Eileen Sills, 52, Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’, has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s New Year Honours in recognition of her services to the nursing profession.

The honour is reserved for those who make a major contribution in their field, usually at national level.

Ms Sills was responsible for the introduction of Clinical Fridays – increasing the amount of time that senior nurses spend on the frontline – and the weekly Safe in Our Hands forum where nurses and other staff share successes and challenges to improve patient care.

She has also been the Clinical Director of London’s Strategic Network for Dementia since August 2013.

Eileen, who has been Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ since 2005 said: “This is the most amazing honour, I can’t quite believe it.

“I have had an amazing 10 years at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and I would like to thank all the staff who work here because this recognition would not have happened without them.”

Ron Kerr, Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “We are all immensely proud of Eileen’s recognition in the Queen’s New Year Honours. It is a well-deserved honour for her transformational leadership of not only the nursing workforce but all staff across the organisation, whatever job they do and wherever they work.

“Eileen is passionately committed to improving the experience of every patient treated in our hospitals and in our community services. The example that she sets as a highly visible nurse leader is an inspiration to all of us, myself included.”