Richard Stubbs recognised as one of the most influential BAME leaders in health
Posted: 6th October 2021
Yorkshire & Humber AHSN Chief Executive, Richard Stubbs, has been recognised as one of the most influential Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Leaders for the second year in a row in the Health Service Journal‘s (HSJ) BAME power list.
The HSJ’s top leader list celebrates those who are influencing change and through their work inspire other people to push boundaries and strive to achieve more at a time when the BAME community are still under-represented in the NHS at leadership level.
Richard created a national campaign around diversity and innovation and led the supporting publication Innovation² – the multiplier effect of diversity. The campaign includes a set of pledges to which all Academic Health Science Network boards are now committed to deliver. The pledges are designed to ensure a greater commitment to diversity across the innovative landscape, including ensuring that all AHSNs are model employers, and that the hugely influential work of the AHSNs positively supports our BAME staff as well as our patients
Richard is also Chair of the steering group for the NHS Confederation BME Leadership Network – a network for NHS leaders from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and he is a member of the independent Non-Executive Directors taskforce, launched by NHS Confederation, to support NHS organisations in increasing the diversity of their boards and governing bodies. Leading on Diversity and innovation for the network
Richard is passionate about stamping out racism. In this recent blog for West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, he discusses his experiences being a black leader in a room of health leaders and the importance of West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s anti-racism movement.
Richard is also particularly passionate about the Levelling Up agenda and addressing health inequalities. Richard co-authored the Levelling Up Yorkshire and Humber; Health as the new wealth post-COVID report in 2020. He went on to present the report’s recommendations at a virtual evidence session hosted by the House of Lords Public Services Committee. These recommendations subsequently contributed to the Committee’s positioning paper on the Levelling Up agenda which was sent to the Prime Minister calling for ‘better targeted’ plans that protects health, education and skills in more deprived areas of the country.
In addition to being the Chief Executive of Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, Richard was this year elected as the Vice-Chair of the AHSN Network. In this capacity he plays an essential role leading and maintaining the collective ambition of the Network’s 15 AHSNs. He leads on three priority areas; diversity (improving diversity within health innovation), communications (raising the profile of the work of the AHSNs and the Network) and international (working closely with the Department of International Trade and Healthcare UK to support the export of UK health excellence).
His international work extends to being the lead for the AHSN Network as well as being a member of the Healthcare UK Advisory Board. He also represents the UK on the Global Scientific Committee which is curating the International Hospital Federation’s World Hospital Congress.
You can hear more about Richard’s work via this event he’s leading on behalf of the NHS Confederations BME Leadership Network as part of Black History Month. This ‘innovation in action’ session will explore how greater diversity within our innovator communities enhances the quality and outcomes of our health innovation ambitions. Richard will be building on the work he leads nationally for the AHSN Network that champions our diverse innovators and provides a call to action to the wider health and life science ecosystem.