Rachel Yates, director of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme and its co-founder, has officially received her MBE from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle following her inclusion in the 2024 King’s New Year Honours. 

Rachel was recognised with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her outstanding contribution to clinical quality improvement and patient safety across the NHS. The award highlights her decades long commitment to improving healthcare delivery through innovative, data led strategies. 

As co-founder of GIRFT alongside Professor Tim Briggs, she has played a central role in shaping the programme from its inception. Since the publication of the first GIRFT report on orthopaedics in 2012, the programme has grown to cover over 40 surgical and medical specialties and cross-cutting areas such as diagnostics, day surgery, and outpatient care. GIRFT’s peer-to-peer, evidence-based methodology continues to support clinicians and healthcare providers in identifying opportunities to enhance patient care, streamline services, and reduce unwarranted variation. 

Her MBE acknowledges not only the scope of her professional achievements but also her continued dedication to improving patient outcomes and delivering value across healthcare services. 

Rachel attended the ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday 16 April 2025 with her husband Michael Yates.