The leading figure for overseeing healthcare provided in the borough has been recognised for his efforts.

Matthew Hopkins, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, has featured in a publication’s list of the top 50 men and women at the forefront of healthcare.

Mr Hopkins, who oversees Queen’s and King George Hospitals, was selected by the Health Service Journal(HSJ) - a well-respected trade publication on all matters of health.

He joined the trust in April 2014 and has overseen a wide-ranging improvement journey which has included launching a leadership development programme, growing the workforce to deal with increasing demand and more patient engagement, using their feedback to drive further improvement.

HSJ’s annual analysis of the NHS’s top trust chief executives was judged by some of the service’s leading figures, including CQC chief inspector of hospitals Sir Mike Richards, NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh and NHS Improvement director of nursing Ruth May.

The chief executives were judged on three main criteria including the performance of their trust, their contribution to the wider health economy or the NHS and their personal example.

Ian James, chairman of the Trust’s Patient Partnership Council, said: “Under Matthew’s leadership the voice of the patient has been moved to the fore.

“The Patient Partnership Council is made up of independent people who must ensure the patient comes first, and under Matthew, that is absolutely the case.”

Anne-Marie Dean, Chairman of Healthwatch Havering, added: “Matthew and his team, despite the rising demands and the continued complexity of healthcare, have remained committed to working tirelessly to improve the standards of care at the hospital.

“We’ve found him to be open, approachable and inclusive and look forward to working with him and his team in the future.”

The top three in the list were Sir Andrew Morris, Frimley Health Foundation Trust, Sir David Sloman, Royal Free London Foundation Trust and Marianne Griffiths, Western Sussex Hospitals Foundation.