Sarah Mullally, the youngest person to hold the role of chief nurse for England, has been appointed the first female bishop of London.
Dame Sarah has spent over 35 years in the NHS, including being chief nursing officer for five years between 1999 and 2004. She began her career at St Thomas’ Hospital, and retired from the NHS in 2004 to join the Clergy. She was awarded a damehood in 2005 for services to nursing.
Commenting on her new role, Dame Sarah said: ‘I am often asked what it has been like to have had two careers, first in the NHS and now in the Church.
I prefer to think that I have always had one vocation: to follow Jesus Christ, to know him and to make him known, always seeking to live with compassion in the service of others, whether as a nurse, a priest, or a bishop. To be given the opportunity to do that now in this vibrant world-city is a wonderful privilege.’