Honorary degree awarded to Group Chief Nurse Professor Cheryl Lenney OBE
Professor Cheryl Lenney OBE, Group Chief Nurse at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, has today been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Salford.
Cheryl has over 40 years’ experience as a registered nurse and a registered midwife and has held several senior clinical and managerial roles throughout her career.
As a midwife, she has played a significant role in developing early national leadership programmes and continues to support the development of midwives through education and research, improving care for women and their babies.
She has worked for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and its predecessor organisations since 2002. Cheryl is currently Group Chief Nurse, an executive director on the board. As Group Chief Nurse she provides professional and clinical leadership to over 10,000 nurses and midwives and has specific responsibility as the Executive director for Infection Prevention and Control, Safeguarding and maternity.
Cheryl supports system leadership across Greater Manchester and leads the Nursing, Midwifery and AHP board working with the universities to increase student numbers in health care professions.
In addition to her professional qualifications, Cheryl gained a master’s degree in Health Service Management from the University of Manchester, she is a Visiting Professor for Nursing Leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University and Honorary Clinical Chair (MAHSC) nursing, midwifery and allied health professions leadership.
She was awarded an OBE in 2020 in recognition of her contribution to nursing and midwifery over her career and her leadership in the national response to the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
Professor Margaret Rowe, Dean of the School of Health and Society, said: “It’s great to welcome Cheryl here today to receive this honorary award. She has a significant leadership role across Greater Manchester in relation to developing the current and future NHS workforce and is a powerful advocate and inspiration for our aspiring nursing, midwifery, and allied health professionals.”
Professor Cheryl Lenney said: “I am honoured to receive this award from the University of Salford who I have worked in partnership with over many years to ensure that standards of education and practice are aligned, providing high quality graduates for the professions in Greater Manchester and beyond. I hope that our work continues to attract the very best people into the very best professions in health and care.