Andrew Pike

Areas of Interest

Health Care, Business

Honorary Award

Honorary Doctor of the University, 2006

Biography

Andrew Pike is a career NHS Manager who joined the Health Service following University. He was made Chief Executive of Mid Essex Hospital Service NHS Trust in Chelmsford in 2000, during which he became recognised as an outstanding leader and the driving force behind the Trust's improvements and proposals to centralise services. In September 2007 he moved to NHS South East Essex as Chief Executive to undertake the important task of developing primary care and ensuring the NHS improves commissioning for all health services. He has now been appointed as Chief Executive of both NHS South East and NHS South West Essex and will lead in the implementation of the government reforms to the NHS.

Over recent years, he has been closely associated with developments with Anglia Ruskin University to identify opportunities for joint working between NHS and the University. This has been particularly in the areas of medical and healthcare education, clinical research and support services.

Citation

"The Senate of Anglia Ruskin University has great pleasure in recommending the award of an Honorary Doctorate of the University to Andrew James Pike, BA, MBA, PGCE, Dip HSM. Andrew is a career NHS manager, who has served as Chief Executive of Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust in Chelmsford since 2000, during which time he has become recognized as an inspirational leader, strategist, planner and innovator. He is also active in the world of learning disability, supporting MENCAP and the Extra 21 Downs Syndrome charity, of which he is a past Vice-Chairman.

Andrew Pike was educated at Gable Hall School in Corringham and then Palmers Sixth Form College, Grays, Essex, from where he went up to the University of Kent at Canterbury where he obtained a BA in History and Politics & Government. He then pursued a course at West London Higher Institute of Education for which he was awarded a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, which was followed by study at the Institute of Health Service Management for the Diploma in Health Service Management, which he passed with honours. Subsequently, he completed a master's course at the University of Warwick Business School where he gained the degree of Master in Business Administration (MBA) with distinction.

Andrew's first career step was his appointment in 1984 as a Management Trainee at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London. This was followed by a series of appointments of increasing responsibility, complexity and challenge within the London area. Then, in 1989 he was appointed General Manager of the Medical Directorate at Southend Hospital and Southend Health Authority Acute Unit. His first board level appointment, in 1992, was also at Southend Hospital (newly formed as an NHS Trust) as Executive Director of Operations. Here, Andrew was able to apply his leadership gifts to manage the centralization of acute services on the Southend site, moving them from Rochford Hospital and achieve the hospital's targets during the 1990s, as governments began to reduce waiting times, as well as to develop services that responded to increasing demand for improved quality in hospital care. In the year 2000, Andrew was appointed as Chief Executive of Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust at Chelmsford. Here he is accountable for the performance of a £200m revenue organization, providing tertiary services to Essex and secondary services to the Mid-Essex population of 350,000, employing 3,100 staff. Currently, the organization is negotiating financial agreement on the re-development of the Broomfield site to centralize all acute services by 2009.

Over recent years, the Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust under the direction of Andrew Pike, has worked actively with Anglia Ruskin University and this has proved fruitful for both parties, who continue to explore the long-term strategic development of the University with the Trust, to identify areas on mutual interest. A number of clinicians have already taken up academic positions within the University. This co-operation has seen the Trust use some of the University's accommodation for its junior doctors and medical students and the Trust has been able to utilize the facilities of ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) training courses undertaken by the University, for the Trust's benefit. This is in addition to the particularly good liaison in connection with academic placements for under-graduate, post-graduate, nurse and other professional education. It is mutually hoped that this may promote a continuingly closer rapport between the Trust and the University in the delivery of additional academic subjects, add to its research base and provide financial savings by the use of shared support services.

For all these reasons, I now ask the Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Tidmarsh, to confer the award.

On behalf of Senate, I exercise the authority of Senate and confer the award of Honorary Doctorate of the University honoris causa on Andrew James Pike."