Chris Slater, ICS Procurement Director and former Director of Commercial & Procurement at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), has received the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) that he was awarded by Her Majesty the Queen in June 2022.
The award – which was presented by The Prince of Wales - recognised the work of Chris and his team to ensure PPE and other healthcare essentials, including the establishment of the Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate, were procured and supplied to staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chris said: “It’s an incredible honour to be nominated to receive an MBE for working in the NHS, certainly not something I was expecting! Managing the supply chain throughout the COVID pandemic, including the provision of PPE and equipping the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, was an absolute team effort that required commitment from so many dedicated people. I am delighted that the team’s efforts in supporting frontline staff at LTHT has been recognised.”
HCSA Chief Officer Keith Rowley added: “Everyone at HCSA is proud to see Chris receive his MBE in what is a fitting acknowledgement of his service to NHS procurement, his work during COVID and the superb teams he has worked with. HCSA also personally acknowledged his extraordinary career by naming him the recipient of the HCSA Chairman’s Award in 2022.”
Commenting on receiving his award from The Prince of Wales, Chris said: “It was a fantastic experience to meet Prince William, he was genuinely interested in the work we had done and expressed his gratitude to the NHS. The event felt very personal and both myself and my family felt proud to represent the NHS and the procurement family.”
Date: 26 April