Una O'Brien

Dame Una O'Brien
DCB
Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health
In office
4 October 2010 – April 2016
Secretary of StateAndrew Lansley
Jeremy Hunt
Preceded bySir Hugh Taylor
Personal details
NationalityBritish
Alma materSt Anne's College, Oxford
OccupationCivil servant

Dame Una O'Brien DCB is a British former civil servant, who served as the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health.[1] She became a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the New Year honours list 2011,[2] and a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath (DCB) in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours list.[3]

O'Brien was educated at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she graduated with a B.A. degree in Modern History,[4] Harvard University and the London School of Economics.[5] She first joined the Department of Health in 1990 and held posts in the Department for Transport, the Prime Minister's Efficiency Unit and the National Health Service before returning to the Department of Health.[4] She was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health in February 2010.[5]

As of 2015, O'Brien was paid a salary of between £160,000 and £164,999 by the department, making her one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[6]

  1. ^ Dame Una O'Brien to leave Department of Health after 25 years, Department of Health, 14 December 2015, retrieved 16 May 2017
  2. ^ "New Year honours list 2011 : Knights". The Guardian. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2016. Companion (CB) [...] Ms Una O'Brien, formerly dir-General, policy and strategy, Department of Health.
  3. ^ "Queen's birthday honours list 2015: Knights". The Guardian. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016. DCB : Ms Una O'Brien, CB. Permanent secretary, Department of Health. For public service, particularly to Healthcare (London)
  4. ^ a b Brecknell, Suzannah (23 February 2011). "Interview: Una O'Brien". Civil Service World. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b "New Permanent Secretary for Department of Health" (Press release). Department of Health. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.