First Woman to hold the role of Chief Medical Officer
January 2015, Department of Health, London
b.1949, Birmingham
Dame Sally is a haematologist and was the first and only woman to date to be appointed Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England in 2011 at the age of 62. The CMO is the most senior advisor on health matters in government. 15 men have preceded Sally; it’s taken over a century and a half for a woman to be appointed to this role.