She was appointed Deputy Director of Nursing at West Lothian NHS Trust prior to becoming a member of the Management Executive at the Department of Health, the Scottish Office for four years.
[citation needed] Dame Jacqueline is a trustee of the King's Fund[2] and co-chair of the London Social Partnership Forum.
[citation needed] She joined King's College Hospital as executive director of nursing in 1996, assuming a similar role for operations in 2001, and has also been employed as an independent consultant to the Mexican department of health.
In September 1999 Docherty was appointed as London Regional Champion to help support and implement the "Improving Working Lives" campaign.
[4] Docherty was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her long career, during which she has nursed in Scotland, Bath and London and for her services to the NHS.