We’re thrilled to announce that our DSFS Finance Team has been named HFMA East Midlands Finance Team of the Year 2025!

The HFMA National Healthcare Finance Awards celebrate the outstanding work of finance teams and individuals across the UK. These awards recognise excellence in areas such as accounts production, costing, governance, training and development, innovation, and crucially, engaging clinical teams in financial management.

This achievement reflects an incredible year for our Finance team. Despite significant challenges—including a financial deficit, cash flow pressures, and major internal changes—the team has delivered exceptional results and driven continuous improvement.

Highlights from Our Award-Winning Submission

• Culture of Excellence: Introduced Excellence Groups and development days to engage every team member in shaping the department’s future.
• Training & Development: Achieved One NHS Finance Level 1 accreditation and delivered tailored finance training for budget holders.
• Capital Governance Overhaul: Implemented a new prioritisation process, integrated operational risk, and supported a £6.6m solar panel business case to deliver sustainable savings.
• Enhanced Reporting & Forecasting: Improved cashflow forecasting, introduced scenario planning, and upgraded ledger systems to strengthen financial insight.
• Recognition: Five team members won organisation-wide Colleague of the Month awards in the past six months.

Louise Lowry, Associate Director of Finance, DSFS Ltd:
“I’m absolutely thrilled that DSFS Finance team has been recognised as the HFMA East Midlands Finance Team of the Year 2025. Our winning submission highlighted just a few of the ways we have sought to foster a culture of continuous improvement and maximise funding available for patient care. We are living our DSFS value of resourcefulness by maximising the value we provide, working collaboratively (respect), continuing to deliver day-to-day requirements (reliable) whilst managing increasing demands on our services (responsive). The DSFS Finance team works together, as a family, supporting, encouraging, and celebrating each other and the contribution we make to the smooth running of the hospital and ultimately the patient experience. Financial Services, Management Accounts, Income and Costing, Financial Accounting, Capital, Systems, Patient Accounts, Payroll, and Transformation, all play their part. I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing team, and it’s great that they now have wider recognition.”

Stuart Ellis, Commercial and Strategy Director:
“I’m so proud of the team and the work Louise, Rachel and Ryan have done to roll with the ever-increasing challenge while developing the team, becoming more efficient, changing our systems and working with Trust partners to improve and support the processes and needs we can support them with.”

A Big Thank You to our colleagues

This award is a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of every colleague at DSFS and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHSFT who contributed to this success—whether through direct involvement in finance projects, supporting process improvements, or working alongside the team to deliver better outcomes for our organisation and patients. Thank you for helping us achieve this incredible milestone!