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Professor Steve Barnett, who chairs the board that runs our hospitals in Peterborough, Huntingdon and Stamford, collected his OBE from Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal in a ceremony held at Windsor Castle on 14 January 2026.

Steve, who lives in Helpston, was awarded the OBE in the King's Birthday Honours in 2025 for his services to the NHS over the last 30 years.

He was accompanied on his special day by his wife Louise, son Richard and daughter Emily. 

Steve has been Chair of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust since 2022 and also Chairs the Trust's Council of Governors. When he is not in the board room, he can be found working shifts with the Trust's 500-strong army of volunteers - making tea for patients and staff, helping visitors find their way around the hospitals and supporting patients on the wards.

He said: “It was a fantastic experience, and I was incredibly honoured to meet the Princess Royal to collect the honour. I am very proud to have been nominated and consider myself lucky that in the last 30-plus years in the NHS I have had the privilege of working with some amazing colleagues who have been so dedicated in caring for patients and have supported me in my various roles.”

Prior to joining North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Steve was Chair of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust. He also held senior national roles in the Department of Health and the Home Office, and previously as Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, Chief Executive of the Academy of Healthcare Science and Senior Vice President of a US health technology company.