UHDB governor Maura Teager awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours
One of UHDB’s highly valued governors has been awarded an MBE Honour for Services to Nursing and the community of Derby’ over the last 50 years.
Maura Teager has had a long and distinguished career which has seen her serve the people of Derbyshire for the past five decades in roles that include nurse, midwife, volunteer, governor, NHS board member and Director of Nursing.
Known for her “selfless energy” her colleagues say she puts patients at the heart of everything she does and is driven by values and a focus on helping and supporting the most vulnerable.
She said she is “overwhelmed” by the news and has “had some great career opportunities in the NHS.”
She said: “I was both humbled and overwhelmed when notified of the recommendation to the Queen for this honour as I don’t believe I’ve done anything extraordinary.”
Maura started training as a nurse back in January 1972 and has loved her nursing career. She believes this honour is a reflection of everyone she has worked with and those individuals who believed in her and gave her the opportunity to make a difference.
She said: “This MBE is not about me, as I don’t feel it can be about one individual. It’s about the role models I’ve met and the many people I’ve walked alongside – patients and their families, colleagues, and of course my family, they have all challenged and inspired me.
“The NHS has played a huge part throughout my life and never more so than now and I would like to sincerely recognise the huge sacrifices that so many have made to keep services going so well during the pandemic and also the ongoing challenges that our staff in health and social care continue to face”.
Maura has always been a key supporter of integrated care services and made a personal impact doing so. As a nurse director at Derby City Primary Care Trust she introduced the first plans to establish nurse/health visitor led services to the growing homeless, Chinese, traveller and LGBT communities in Derby and was instrumental in setting up a Lighthouse project to improve services for children and young people with learning disabilities.
In her role as Vice Chair of Derby City Safeguarding Children Board she supported work to improve health and social care services for disadvantaged children and young people and later became a Magistrate and Lay Judge in the Family Court.
At the same time Maura became a non-executive director on a newly-created social enterprise, RIPPLEZ Community Interest Company, which was set up to support teenage parents.
The impact of Maura’s work, innovations and ideas in Health Visiting, Safeguarding and Children’s Services can still be seen today. Many of her previous nurse students went on to become matrons or senior matrons and remember her professional practice and clinical guidance. She has also been Non-Executive Director /Vice Chair of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust where her passion for the most vulnerable, especially children and young people continued.
Kathy McLean OBE is the Chair at UHDB. She said Maura is a role model to the way we do things here at UHDB.
She said: “I would like to start by congratulating Maura on this wonderful achievement, which recognises her work and influence over many years”.
“Maura has had a long and distinguished career in Derbyshire and both her nursing, including as a Director of Nursing, and her non-executive and voluntary contributions have been highly impactful.
“Maura always puts patients and populations at the heart of everything she does, and her influence is wider than her specific roles. I have known her for over twenty years, more latterly as our Lead Governor where she is a role model to the way we do things at UHDB.
“Our governors are entirely voluntary, and it is fantastic to see the good work they do recognised in this way. I am delighted that other people appreciate Maura and value her and her work like we do.”
Maura’s career has spanned health, social care and justice and has included several years’ experience in influential posts at Board level, including Executive/Non-executive director, vice chair, and magistrate.
She has been a UHDB governor for the last five years and was elected by her peers as lead governor.