Hospital boss honoured for leadership and vision

The leader of Royal Berkshire Hospital has been recognised for his contributions towards healthcare and the Berkshire community after receiving an honorary degree from the University of Reading.

Steve McManus has been chief executive officer of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust since 2017 and his career in the NHS has spanned 37 years. He received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in a ceremony on Wednesday 11 December.

Mr McManus began his career as a student nurse at The Nightingale School of Nursing in 1987. After qualifying as a Registered General Nurse in 1990 he worked in London and Oxford, completing his BA Hons in healthcare studies at Oxford Brookes University, followed by a postgraduate certificate in evidence-based healthcare from Oxford University. 

In 2002 he moved into management and completed an MBA with Nottingham University Business School in 2006.

Following leadership roles at University Hospital Southampton, Imperial College Healthcare and Basildon & Thurrock University Teaching Hospital, Mr McManus took up the role of chief executive officer at the Royal Berkshire in 2017.

University partnership

Since joining, Mr McManus has been instrumental in establishing formal links between the University of Reading and the hospital to help improve patient care and clinical excellence.

The Health Innovation Partnership (formally the Joint Academic Board) has:

• seen the launch of a joint Physician Associate programme;
• established 10 University Departments of Excellence within the hospital;
• shared teaching and learning resources – including the recently opened Clinical Simulation and Training Suite;
• begun a pipeline of research that will directly benefit patients.

In August 2020, Mr McManus was seconded to work with Baroness Dido Harding during the pandemic, taking on a key national role within the Government’s Test and Trace programme. He also served a secondment as CEO of the Integrated Care Board for Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West in 2022.

Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, presented Mr McManus with his honorary degree.

She said: “Steve is an exemplary and compassionate leader and an unwavering advocate for continuous improvement. He embodies the belief that there is always room for progress, always a way to serve patients better, and always an opportunity to elevate the team and the organisation as a whole.

“Steve has been a driving force in the partnership between the University and the hospital trust. His vision has helped create a learning environment that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. This commitment to education reflects his own lifelong love of learning. He thoroughly deserves this honorary degree.”

Mr McManus said: “I am hugely humbled and endlessly thankful for receiving this degree from the University of Reading. The honour is not for myself but for our amazing staff and volunteers at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, and our partners at the University.

“Our two organisations have already been able to achieve so much together through the Health Innovation Partnership, and I know moving forwards there is so much more we can to do to support our staff, our patients and our community.”