Liz Hughes MBE – Non-executive director

The Dudley Group welcomed Liz to its board in December 2019. Liz is deputy medical director for Health Education England and a consultant in chemical pathology and metabolic medicine at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust and honorary professor at both the University of Birmingham and University of Aston and visiting professor at Worcester University.

Professor Hughes established the physician associate role in the NHS, a role that many hospitals now have within their workforce, securing the first ever non-medical faculty at the Royal College of Physicians. She is proud that when it first began in 2015 there were 183 and now there are just over 2,500 physicians associates employed in the NHS. 

Medical education and training is a passion for Professor Hughes who has also established a GP training scheme with the Chinese government and developed speciality medical training within the Middle East.

 Liz is a national expert in the treatment of inherited lipid disorders and is one of the founder members of the national charity HEARTUK with which she has worked extensively with multi professional healthcare professionals and patients.

In 2016, the aviation profession honoured Liz for her contribution towards training doctors in aerospace-related medicine. She was the winner of the Improving Safety in Medicines Management category in the Patient Safety Awards 2013.

She has held a number of national roles including chair of Academic Careers and Research Evidence.