Hospital Trust CEO – and former nurse – celebrates 40 years in NHS
The Chief Executive of an NHS Trust who began his career as a nurse has celebrated 40 years of service in the health service, marked on International Nurses Day (12 May).
Matthew Hopkins is Chief Executive of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and has used the occasion to reflect on the essential role that nurses have in hospital care and the importance of leadership at every level of the NHS.
Matthew began in the NHS as a student nurse in 1985 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, starting as a junior nurse on the haematology ward where he cared for patients with leukaemia and other blood disorders.
He says: “Caring for patients when they need you most is the greatest privilege. That experience has shaped every role I've held since. There are many patients I still remember vividly, especially as a young nurse myself, the young people diagnosed with cancer, facing their darkest days with remarkable courage."
Matthew shares a formative experience from those early years: "I recall one situation where I knew a patient's blood results weren't good, but I followed protocol and left it to the consultant to share the news the next day. My patient could sense something was wrong and called me out on it. That moment taught me the profound importance of authenticity and transparency. Being true to yourself and honest with those in your care. It's a principle I've carried throughout my leadership career."
After 16 years working as a nurse across London hospitals, Matthew made the switch from bedside to the boardroom. The transition from hands-on care to executive leadership brought significant challenges. Chief among them was ensuring that patient voices and clinical perspectives remained central to decision-making.
"It can be dangerously easy to make decisions at management level that simply don't translate to the clinical environment or enhance patient experience," Matthew acknowledges. "Ensuring that patients and frontline teams remain at the heart of every conversation has always been my priority."
During the past four decades, nursing as a profession has been transformed with more specialist nurses taking on highly skilled roles. "Today's nurses possess a vastly expanded skill set compared to when I trained, more than most people realise.”
Matthew’s journey from nurse to Chief Executive, celebrated on International Nurses Day, shows the powerful impact that nurses can have in hospitals, both while caring for patients but has leaders in their field.