THE chairman of Oxford University Hospitals has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych).

Dame Fiona Caldicott has been given the prestigious award for her work in helping to bring about improvements to patient care in the NHS.

She was the first woman to become President and Dean of RCPsych, a post she held from 1993 to 1996 and has been chairman at OUH since 2009.

During her career she has worked closely with RCPsych’s Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group to help improve mental health services for women, and in 2014 she chaired the Caldicott Committee into the protection and use of NHS patient information.

Dame Fiona said she was 'extremely proud' to be given the award.

She said: "It's absolutely wonderful.

"To have the recognition of your peers is something very special."

The award is considered to be the highest level of recognition within the field of psychiatry.

President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists professor Wendy Burn, said: “I am so pleased that we’re able to publicly honour Dame Fiona for all the work she has done to improve the lives of people with mental illness.”