NHS Hero nominee – Tracy Bullock
NHS Hero nominee – Tracy Bullock
Dr Alison Brind, NHS Hero of the Year at Your Heroes 2023, lost her life to pancreatic cancer last month. Just weeks before her death she nominated someone else to receive the NHS Hero accolade.
Dr Brind’s nomination was for Tracy Bullock, CEO of the University Hospitals of North Midlands since 2019 who will retire from her role on June 28.
Dr Brind said: “Tracy has worked with the team to take the UHNM out of special measures. She has always been helpful, supportive and caring to ALL the staff. She has been visible and approachable.”
Tracy said she was taken aback to be nominated for a Your Heroes Award and in particular to have been nominated by Dr Brind.
She said: “I would like to say how emotional it made me feel receiving this nomination, although it didn’t surprise me that Alison would be thinking of others even as she neared the end of her life.
“Alison has left a tremendous legacy at UHNM and she touched so many lives with her inspirational work. I feel very honoured to receive this nomination from Alison. It was a privilege to know her and she is one of those people I will never ever forget.”
Tracy qualified as a nurse in 1987 at Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust and throughout her 18 years there she progressed through roles of increasing responsibility including ward manager, clinical risk manager, governance manager and directorate business manager.
During this time and until 2019 Tracy held a seconded role undertaking investigations and reviews for the Commission for Health Improvement, the Health Care Commission and more latterly the Care Quality Commission
In 2002 she started working as an Associate Director with a newly formed national team of healthcare professionals who were instrumental in providing support to some of the most challenged NHS Trusts in the country to achieve turnaround and latterly Foundation Trust status. During this time she gained experience working in Acute, Primary Care, Ambulance and Mental Health Trusts.
In 2006 Tracy joined Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Director of Nursing and Quality and was subsequently given the responsibilities of Chief Operating and then Deputy Chief Executive until becoming the Chief Executive in October 2010.
Tracy joined UHNM as the Chief Executive in April 2019 and is a highly regarded leader who has served the NHS for the entirety of her career.