23 December 2025
A prestigious national award has been presented to a hospital director for their significant contribution to healthcare finance.
Carol McInnes, Director of Planning and Transformation at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has been named ‘Finance Champion of the Year’ at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards.
The award recognises and celebrates someone who stands out for demonstrating exceptional dedication and initiatives within their organisation.
Carol has led the financial recovery work at the Trust, which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford, since November 2024 and has been instrumental in driving transformation and cost improvements.
She started her healthcare management career as a specialist nurse in 2009 and joined SaTH in 2016 as Director of Operations for Medicine and Emergency Care, before moving across to the Women and Children’s division in 2021.
In her current role as Director of Planning and Transformation, Carol works closely with colleagues across the Trust to identify and support projects which improve efficiency while maintaining patient safety and quality.
The judges praised Carol’s ‘skill and humility in engaging people in the critical work of recovery, transformation and cost improvement’.
They went on to say how she is a ‘role model who is driving momentum and growing optimism for the future’ and an ‘exceptional finance champion’.
In addition to Carol’s success, SaTH’s Deputy Chief Nurse, Kara Blackwell, was highly commended in the ‘Working with Finance – Clinician of the Year’ category.
Since establishing the Trust’s Financial Recovery Taskforce in 2024, Carol and the team have built strong relationships with system partners and have been asked to share their learning beyond SaTH and support 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.”
Photo caption: Carol McInnes (right), Director of Planning and Transformation at SaTH, collecting her ‘Finance Champion of the Year’ award at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Awards.