Julie is a former Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, a trustee of the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund and a champion of the importance of data and research to the delivery of care in the NHS. She takes over from Graham Spittle, who is stepping down as his two terms as Chair of HDR UK come to a close.

An NHS career of success

As a child, Julie wanted to be an astrophysicist. However, on realising there were “not a lot of jobs” in that, she opted for in nursing instead. After a successful career in nursing, and a variety of posts in clinical practice and management, Julie became CEO of University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) in 2006.

During her time at UHB, the new £545m Queen Elizabeth Hospital building was built and opened, “a rare example of being built under PPI on time and on budget”, she says. The Trust was also digitally advanced, being named as a Global Digital Exemplar during Julie’s time in charge.

“While a digital agenda was being pushed in the NHS at this time,” Julie says, “I found there was a
remarkable lack of knowledge among some people.” For example, she was asked by the regulator on occasion to help Trusts in trouble. “I often found that they weren’t using their data to improve
patient care, or knew how to.”

The importance of research for care

“I’ve always been interested in research,” says Julie, on her reasons for joining HDR UK. “It is
necessary for the best care. We must keep up to date with the latest developments to benefit
patients.” She believes that NHS England could turn to HDR UK for help in answering some of the
tricky questions they have in finding better ways to deliver care.

“HDR UK has been ahead of the curve in demonstrating how future health research will happen. I’m looking forward to playing a part in this agenda, help take it forward and expand it,” Julie says.

She feels that some of the public debate has been lost in the past on making patient data,
particularly GP data, available for research. But during the COVID pandemic, people realised the
value of rapid research in understanding an emerging disease and creating vaccines at speed. “There is more we can do to promote the trustworthy use of data to benefit us all,” she firmly believes.

Supporting everyone’s talents

Julie retired from full time work in the NHS in 2018 and has since undertaken several roles, including being a non-executive director at Worcester Acute Hospitals and a member of the Novartis UK Industry Council. From 2018 to 2022 she was a Professor of Healthcare Systems at Warwick University and a member of the Organising Committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Julie was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2012 and in 2013 was included in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) lists of the most influential clinical leaders, top CEOs and a national LGBT role model in health.

“At the time of those HSJ awards, I was the only gay CEO of an NHS Trust willing to have their name go forward for the list of LGBT role models,” says Julie. “There are several more now.”

“We must use the talents of all our people and the best of their abilities,” she adds on the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in all organisations. “Everyone deserves to live and work with dignity and respect.”

Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, says: “I am delighted that Dame Julie Moore has been appointed Chair of the HDR UK Board. Her leadership, her vision on how data can be used to improve patient care and her experience of keeping organisations moving forward in the NHS and elsewhere will add great value to HDR UK.

“I am looking forward to working closely with her to enable secure and trustworthy access to health data that will power research discoveries that improve people’s lives.”