Sally Davies (doctor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Sally Davies
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Davies in 2024
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| Master of Trinity College, Cambridge | |
| Assumed office 8 October 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Gregory Winter |
| Chief Medical Officer for England | |
| In office 1 June 2010 – 1 October 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Liam Donaldson |
| Succeeded by | Chris Whitty |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sally Claire Davies
24 November 1949 Birmingham, England |
| Spouses |
Ralph Skilbeck
(m. 1972; div. 1982)P. R. A. Vulliamy
(m. 1982; died 1982)Willem H. Ouwehand
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Master, Trinity College Cambridge |
| Profession | Physician (haematologist) |
| Awards | Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh (2017) Suffrage Science award (2011) |
Dame Sally Claire Davies (born 24 November 1949) is a British doctor. She is known for her important roles in public health. From 2010 to 2019, she was the Chief Medical Officer for England. This means she was the UK government's top medical advisor.
Before that, she was the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health. She also worked as a doctor who treated blood and bone marrow diseases. Today, she is the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, a very old and famous college at University of Cambridge. She helped create the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Early Life and Education
Sally Davies was born in Birmingham, England, on 24 November 1949. Her father, John Gordon Davies, was a priest and a teacher. Her mother, Emily Mary Tordoff, was a scientist. Both of her parents became teachers at the University of Birmingham.
Sally went to Edgbaston High School for Girls. She was very good at playing the viola, a musical instrument. She later studied medicine at the University of Manchester. She earned her first medical degree in 1972. Later, she received another degree from the University of London.
Career and Important Work
Sally Davies started her career as a doctor. She took a break from medicine for four years while living in Madrid. She returned to her medical training in the late 1970s.
In 1985, she became a specialist in blood diseases, called a haematologist. She worked at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London. By 1997, she became a Professor there, teaching about blood disorders.
Davies is an expert in sickle cell disease. This is a blood problem that mostly affects people of African heritage. It can cause painful episodes. She also wrote a book called The Drugs Don't Work: A Global Threat in 2013.
Working for the Government
In 2004, Davies started working for the government. She took a research job in London. Soon, she was promoted to lead research and development for the Department of Health.
In 2006, she helped grow the NHS research system. She did this by creating the National Institute for Health and Care Research. She then became the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care.
Becoming Chief Medical Officer
In June 2010, Sally Davies became the interim Chief Medical Officer (United Kingdom). She was confirmed in the role the next year. She was the first woman to hold this very important position. The Chief Medical Officer is one of the highest-ranking jobs in the government's Civil Service.
The Chief Medical Officer is the most senior doctor working for the government. This role has a lot of influence over health policies for the National Health Service.
Davies spoke a lot about the problem of antimicrobial resistance. This is when medicines like antibiotics stop working against germs. She worked to make this issue known around the world.
In 2014, she wrote a report saying that fighting obesity should be a national goal. She also suggested looking into ovarian cancer more closely. She wanted to break down "taboos" about menopause and incontinence. This was to make sure people get help without feeling embarrassed.
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Davies has suggested banning ads for unhealthy foods. She also wants plain packaging for junk foods, like for cigarettes. She thinks there should be higher taxes on foods high in fat, salt, or sugar. She believes the public wants the government to protect children from unhealthy food marketing.
Leading Trinity College, Cambridge
On 8 February 2019, it was announced that she would become the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. She took over from Sir Gregory Winter. She is the first woman to hold this position. She officially started her role on 8 October 2019.
UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance
In June 2019, Davies was named the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). In this role, she represents the UK government internationally. She also works with different government groups. Her goal is to advise on plans to fight AMR for the next 5 to 20 years.
Awards and Honours
In February 2013, the BBC said Sally Davies was the sixth "most powerful" woman in the UK. In 2015, a health journal ranked her as the most influential woman in the English NHS.
In 2009, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This was for her services to medicine.
Davies was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2014. She also became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2002. She received the Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh in 2017.
In 2020, she became a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB). This is a very high honour for her work in public health and research. She received this award from the Prince of Wales in March 2020.
Personal Life
In 1974, Sally Davies married Ralph Skilbeck, who was a diplomat. They divorced in 1982. She married again in 1982, but her second husband sadly passed away later that year. In 1989, she married Willem H. Ouwehand. He is also a professor of blood diseases at the University of Cambridge. They have two daughters together.
