ICB Chief Executive made an OBE in the King’s Honours list

A health leader who led the response across Suffolk and north east Essex to the COVID-19 pandemic has been made an Officer of The Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Honours list.

Dr Ed Garratt, Chief Executive of the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), notably led the system’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which has consistently been highlighted as one of the best performing areas in the country for its work to ensure as many eligible people as possible were vaccinated.

Ed has worked in the system for over a decade and was the Chief Executive of the local clinical commissioning groups (2016-22), gaining an ‘outstanding’ rating in all three.

Since 2019, Ed has led the Integrated Care System (ICS) and has been responsible for establishing strong partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and voluntary sector organisations, as well as local universities.

He was a founding member of the University of Suffolk’s Integrated Care Academy – a partnership between the University, Healthwatch Suffolk, Suffolk County Council and the ICB – which aims to support the provision of integrated care across the county and wider, particularly focusing on the areas of mental health and end of life care.

Ed also sponsors the Essex Anchor Institutions’ Network, a group which connects non-profit, public sector organisations, pledges and local initiatives to the wellbeing of the population, and the Care Tech campus being developed at the University of Essex.

He has worked on major national policy by supporting the development of the NHS Constitution (2009) and the government’s NHS White Paper (2021).

The Chairman of the Suffolk and North East Essex ICB, Professor Will Pope, congratulated Ed.

He said: “On behalf of the Board, I am absolutely delighted to congratulate Ed on the award of his OBE.

“Ed is a fantastic leader and a role model for the many thousands of staff and volunteers who work within this terrific health and care system.

“His leadership style is based on a strong set of values that he holds in high regard, which are around creativity, collaboration and kindness.

“This is thoroughly well-deserved recognition and is testament to Ed’s leadership which makes a positive difference to our communities.”

Commenting on his OBE, Ed said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award and I do so on behalf of the brilliant and hard-working colleagues, partners and volunteers across our health and social care system.

“It is a privilege to work in Suffolk and north east Essex and I am very motivated to continue to drive forward the progress which we have made in our recovery from the pandemic.”