Jocelyn Cornwell awarded MBE in New Year Honours

The Point of Care Foundation is proud to announce that our founder, Jocelyn Cornwell, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for her outstanding contributions to patients’ experience of care and patient safety.

Jocelyn founded the Point of Care Foundation in 2013 and served as its Chief Executive until 2020. During her tenure, Jocelyn visited Boston and successfully negotiated a licence with the Schwartz Center to pilot Schwartz Rounds in the UK – which now run in over 220 organisations. She continues to contribute to the Foundation’s work as an associate. Her commitment to improving the experience of care for both patients and staff has been a fundamental aspect of her career and the Foundation’s mission.

Prior to establishing the Point of Care Foundation, Jocelyn launched the Point of Care programme at The King’s Fund in 2007. She trained as a medical sociologist and ethnographer and is the author of Hard-Earned Lives: Accounts of Health and Illness from East London (1984). She currently chairs the board of trustees at Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA).

Her career includes academic research, senior management roles in NHS community health services, and health regulation. Notably, Jocelyn worked at the Audit Commission and the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), where she developed methods for clinical governance reviews.

Reflecting on the award, Jocelyn said:

“I have had the great good fortune to work with wonderful people throughout my career. In particular, the trustees and staff who helped me establish the Point of Care Foundation and shared my commitment to making care more patient-centred and supportive to staff. I am especially proud that because of our work, thousands of healthcare staff, and student healthcare professionals, are able to attend Schwartz Rounds in the UK. Thanks to Professor Jill Maben’s important research we know that staff who regularly attend Rounds experience less psychological distress, and increased empathy and compassion for patients and colleagues.”  

All of the team at the Point of Care Foundation extend heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.