THE chief executive of the trust that runs Watford General has won a top award.

Samantha Jones was named Chief Executive of the Year in the Health Service Journal Awards, announced last night at a ceremony in London.

In a special supplement produced for the awards, Ms Jones was praised for "single-handledly creating a climate that is open, honest and transparent; placing a high value on frontline staff; and challenging processes while seeking and offering solutions for doing things better".

Her introduction of Operation Onion, a peeling-back-the-layers management tool designed to improve patient safety and experience, was singled out for praise.

It was stated: "With a focus on making senior leadership accessible, the executive team is encouraged to do regular walkabouts, giving them the opportunity to talk to frontline staff and patients, as well as weekly Talk Time sessions in the canteen."

It was said Ms Jones was "aproachable, easy-going and willing to help anyone get ahead" and that "trust values are embedded into daily practices because of her relentless drive and vision".

The judges described her as "a passionate values-driven leader, uncompromising about patient safety with the courage to have honest conversations".

The Onion meetings instigated by Ms Jones were highly commended in the Patient Safety category of the awards.

Winner of the Board Leadership category was the Hertfordshire Partnership University Foundation Trust.

It was praised by judges for its "strong commitment to diversity that is having a real impact on service delivery" as well as "excellent use of feedback".