DAME Hilary Chapman of Cawthorne has been announced as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire - and will take up her role later this year.

Hilary has been the Deputy Lieutenant since 2016 and the 58-year-old told the Chronicle that she hopes to continue the work of her predecessor Andrew Coombe when she takes up post on November 5.

“The first thing I’d say is that Andrew has been an outstanding lieutenant and I want to build on the platform that he has created,” she added.

“One of the things I did whilst working as Deputy Lieutenant was working with the media and trying to increase our social media presence.

“Just having a Twitter account has been really helpful for us.

“The citizenship ceremony was also a real privilege to be a part of - it’s great to meet people from all of those different backgrounds.

“I want to make a difference.”

Hilary has spent her entire career in nursing - and that’s where she earned her ‘Dame’ title.

She began and ended her main NHS career in Sheffield, retiring three years ago as chief nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She also co-led the development of the Safer Nursing Care Tool - which is now used widely in hospitals across the UK - and she was awarded her damehood for her work on this project.

“It was an utter privilege but it was just an enormous shock,” she added.

“I was awarded the damehood largely for the work around the tool and myself and another colleague were recognised as the leaders of that tool.

“But we couldn’t have done it without the team.”

Barnsley Central MP and Mayor of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis added: “I warmly welcome the appointment of Professor Dame Hilary Chapman as South Yorkshire’s Lord-Lieutenant.

“Dame Hilary dedicated herself to the NHS in her illustrious nursing career, spanning more than 30 years.

“As one of the country’s most prominent chief nurses, she made major contributions to healthcare.

“I wish her the very best in her new role and look forward to working closely with her.”