Obituary: Rupert Davies

A long-serving NHS finance professional, Mr Davies has been described as ‘one of life’s gentlemen’ – an inspirational figure who loved his work.

Paul Assinder, former HFMA president, who knew Mr Davies as a friend and fellow West Midlands’ finance director, said: ‘He was someone who cared passionately about those fortunate enough to work with him over the years and particularly for the patients and service users his various organisations served.

‘Rupert was a figure of absolute and unwavering integrity, astonishing speed of thought, sharp wittedness and an over-riding sense of fun. He always had patient care and service quality in his heart.’

Mr Davies joined the NHS finance training scheme as a mature student in the early 1980s, having gained a degree (social sciences, University of Kent) and a masters (economic history, University of Leeds) before completing a PhD in economic and social history at the University of Leicester.

He was CIPFA qualified and a great supporter of the HFMA throughout his NHS career, where he worked predominantly in the provider sector, although it also included time as a civil servant working at the Department of Health.

In 2003, he joined South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where, as deputy director of finance, he played a key role in the merger with the mental health sections of local primary care trusts to form South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The successful merger was recognised in the 2007 HFMA Awards, when the trust was named Foundation Trust of the Year. He was also heavily involved with finance staff development, with the trust winning the Jon Havelock finance staff development award two years in a row.

In 2008, he took on his first director role as director of resources at the then Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Again, he helped prepare organisations to bring services together. He left the organisation as it became Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, combining the trust’s mental health services with those previously run by Worcestershire Primary Care Trust’s provider arm.

Joining West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust as director of finance, IT and estates in 2011, he was central to the trust securing foundation trust status. He also helped the organisation to increase its frontline workforce by more than 25% while staying in financial balance – marking the trust out from many other parts of the NHS at that time. The ambulance trust’s chief executive Anthony Marsh said ‘it was a pleasure to have worked with Rupert as he was a hugely knowledgeable and well-respected individual’.

Mr Davies moved to his final role towards the end of 2015. He joined Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust as interim director of finance, performance, IM&T and estates, stepping into the shoes of Mark Axcell, who had recently become the trust’s chief executive. Once in position, he helped steer the finance team and the wider organisation through the upheaval of the Transforming Care Together initiative, which had planned to integrate three local trusts before the proposals were dropped. Finance staff at the trust nominated him for a new distinguished career award to commemorate the NHS’s 70^th birthday as part of a staff awards programme last year.

Mr Axcell remembers Mr Davies as ‘an amazing colleague, professional and friend’ with a distinct sense of humour.  ‘His board and annual general meeting presentations were always memorable – they delivered the message with good grace and humour,’ he said. ‘But you were never quite sure what jokes or historical analogies he was going to throw in – which always kept the board on their toes in public meetings.’

Outside of work, Mr Davies loved walking with his family and, despite being fluent in French had joined a French speaking class to ‘brush up on his dialects’. He also loved opera and, with friends, was a regular at Birmingham Hippodrome and enjoyed numerous trips overseas, including Verona, Italy, and Orange, France.  In his final few housebound months, he taught himself woodwork, creating bird boxes for family and friends.

Since hearing the news of his death, many colleagues have paid tribute to him, referencing his unique ability to ‘say it as it is’ and get ‘straight to the point’ but always in a way that was respectful, humorous, and insightful.