Since graduating from the University of Birmingham, Sarah- Jane's career has progressed rapidly; she was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in December 2007 and Chief Executive Officer in March 2009, making her at the time of her appointment, the youngest Chief Executive Officer in the history of the NHS. Under her leadership, the Trust was named 'Provider Trust of the Year' by the Health Service Journal in 2015, and rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission in February 2017.