The 24 policy board members comprise a chair and vice chair supported by:
- immediate past chair
- two acute trust chief executives
- two acute trust HR directors
- two PCT chief executives
- two PCT HR directors
- two senior mental health trust / learning disability representatives
- one senior care trust representative
- one senior ambulance trust representative
- two chair / non executive directors
- two nurse directors from any NHS organisation
- one acute trust medical director
- one PCT medical director
- one senior allied health professional / senior healthcare scientist representative from any NHS organisation
- one senior Special Health Authority representative
- one finance director from any NHS organisation.
Chair of the Policy Board
Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sir Andrew joined the policy board in November 2011. He was the founding Chair of the Foundation Trust Network (FTN) and has undertaken three spells in the Department of Health – the most recent a secondment for a year as the Director General of Provider Development. He works part time for the Department of Health and currently co-chairs the Department of Health/Ministry of Defence Partnership Board, with lead responsibility for military health matters and improving health service provision to service personnel, their dependents and veterans. He is a visiting Professor in Leadership and Development at the Universities of Sheffield and York. He sits on the NHS National Leadership Council and takes a lead role on behalf of the NHS and the NHS Institute on NHS Global.
He received an OBE in 2001 and was knighted in 2009 for services to the Health Service.
Vice chair of the Policy Board
Daniel Mortimer, Director of Workforce & Strategy, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Danny joined the policy board in November 2006 as acute trust HR representative and was appointed as vice chair in May 2008.
Danny has been in post at NUH since July 2007 and prior to this was Director of HR & OD at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. He first worked in the NHS as a porter during university vacations and after a period as a trainee, largely at the North Staffordshire Hospital, roles followed in Bath and Brighton. His first HR Director post was the joint role for Royal West Sussex NHS Trust and Western Sussex PCT.
Immediate past chair of the Policy Board
Simon Pleydell, Chief Executive, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Simon was appointed to the policy board in December 2004 as acute Chief Executive representative. He was appointed as chair of the policy board in December 2008 and assumed the post of immediate past chair in November 2011.
Simon has worked in a number of management and leadership posts in the NHS since 1980. After 10 years operational experience in London, Simon moved to South Tees Hospitals as director of planning. In 1997 he was appointed chief executive of East Yorkshire Trust and then subsequently CE of York Trust. He was appointed CE of South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003.
Acute trust chief executive representative
Joanna Cubbon, Chief Executive, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Jo was appointed to the policy board in August 2008. Jo joined the Taunton & Somerset NHS Foundation Trust as Chief Executive in April 2008.
She started out as a registered general nurse, has trained as a health visitor and has an MBA from Liverpool University. Jo spent a number of years in both clinical and senior management roles also taking up the CEO role at Burton Hospitals before joining East Lancashire NHS Trust, a four site, 7000 staff hospital with an annual budget of £292m in 2005.
Acute trust chief executive representative
Lorene Read, Chief Executive, Weston Area Health NHS Trust
Lorene joined the policy board in August 2008. Lorene commenced her career in 1975 as a Nurse Trainee in Bristol followed by a succession of nursing roles including a period in Switzerland and Australia.
She returned to the UK in 1990 and held a number of Nurse Director roles in England and Wales, during which time she became an alternate member of the then EEC Advisory Committee for Nurse Training.
Acute trust HR representative
Denise Harnin, Director of Human Resources, The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
Denise was elected to the policy board in August 2008. Starting her career in private sector, Denise has 25 years experience as a generalist Human Resource Practitioner. Transferring to the Health Sector in 1988 she has managed significant services change, re-organisations and mergers, in partnership with Trade Unions and professional organisations.
Denise has more recently contributed at national level working on Department of Health Policy and Strategy before returning to an Acute Hospital as part of an Executive Team established to deliver financial turnaround and long term viability.
Acute trust HR representative
Sue Donaldson, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
Sue joined the policy board in February 2009. Sue has worked in the NHS since 2004, starting as Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Gloucester PCT, then at Poole NHS Foundation Trust and in November 2009 started a similar role at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust.
Prior to this, Sue has an extensive HR and operational career with The Post Office, most notably leading pay, contractual and organisational change programmes.
PCT chief executive representative
Michael Pyrah, Chief Executive, Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT
Mike joined the policy board in December 2004.
He has worked in the NHS for 25 years in roles that include unit general manager and director of a health authority. Mike has been an NHS chief executive since 1995 and was appointed as chief executive of the newly reconfigured Cheshire PCT in August 2006.
PCT chief executive representative
Prem Singh, Chief Executive - Derby City PCT
Prem was appointed to the policy board in December 2004. Prem took up his current post as chief executive of Central & Greater Derby PCTs (now NHS Derby City) in January 2004.
Prem has worked in health and social services for 33 years in total. He began his career in nursing – starting as a then, psychiatric nurse. He has operated at executive/board level for over 18 years and has been a chief executive for well over 7 years. Prem has particular interests in human resources, leadership development and in equality and diversity issues.
PCT HR representative
Tina Smallwood, Director of HR, Humber cluster of PCTs
Tina was appointed to the policy board in December 2004. She has 17 years of experience working within HR including working in local authorities and the NHS. She has worked in social services, education and corporate services as well as a large acute NHS hospital.
Tina was director of HR at West Hull PCT from 2003 and was appointed in November 2006 as Director of HR for the new NHS Hull. Tina also sits on the NHS Confederation council of members and attends the National Social Partnership Forum.
PCT HR representative
This position is currently vacant
Senior mental health representative
Edward Colgan, Chief Executive of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Edward joined the policy board in October 2010. He has been Chief Executive of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust since April 2006 and led the Trust through the Foundation Trust process to authorisation in May 2008. He was previously Chief Executive of Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust from 2002-2006. Prior to this appointment he was Director of Strategic Development with Dorset Health Authority.
He has held a number of senior management positions in acute, mental health community and learning disabilities services and was national policy lead for developing NHS contracting at the Department of Health in the early 1990’s. He was Chairman of the NHS Benchmarking Club from 2002 to 2008.
Senior mental health representative
Kay Harrison, Director of HR and Organisational Development, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Kay was appointed to the policy board in October 2010. She has worked in the NHS since 1996 in human resource roles both in mental health, learning disability and community services. She has held a Director position since 1993. She is currently Director of HR and Organisational Development with 2gether NHS Foundation Trust which was one of the first 10 mental health trusts to achieve Foundation Trust status. Prior to joining the NHS she worked for the water industry. She has long standing commitment to staff engagement and partnership working.
Care trust senior executive representative
Sandra Knight, Director of HR, Bradford District Care Trust
Sandra rejoined the policy board in October 2007 as our Care Trust representative. Sandra has worked in the NHS for over 25 years in a variety of human resources, corporate and organisation development roles and is a Fellow of the CIPD.
Sandra joined Bradford District Care Trust in May 2007 as Director of Human Resources after five years in Bradford City Teaching Primary Care Trust as Director of Corporate Development and as interim director leading the HR, Communications and PALS/Patient and Public Involvement workstreams, as the four PCTs merged to form Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT. She is a qualified executive coach and ACAS trained mediator.
Ambulance trust senior executive representative
Chris Harrison, Director of HR, North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Chris joined the policy board in December 2004. Chris is a member of the Pay Negotiating Council. He also sits on the NHS Employers Pay Reference Group.
Chris worked as an HR Director in both acute and community settings in the north of England before moving to Corus (formerly British Steel), working in a number of senior HR roles for 5 years. Chris has been in his current role since May 2002.
Chair/NED representative
David Longstaff, Non-Executive Director, The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
David became a member of the policy board in October 2010.
Before joining Mid Yorkshire Trust, David held senior management roles at Enterprise Utilities leading on strategic planning and transformational change, and BT, responsible for a large team and budget, dealing with complex compliance and information technology projects.
David has chaired high level national negotiations with trade unions on issues ranging from pay to outsourcing always reaching a comprehensive agreement.
David has worked with a wide range of stakeholders, holds several appointments with the Ministry of Justice and mentor several young people with special needs. David holds professional qualifications in change management, law and information technology.
Chair/NED representative
Gerald Coteman, Chair, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
Gerald joined the policy board in February 2008. Gerald is Managing Partner of The Focus Group, business and management consultants. He has wide experience of the public sector. In September 2009 he began his current post after ten years as Non Executive Director at Addenbrookes.
A former Cambridge City and Cambridgeshire County Councillor, he joined Cambridge Health Authority as a Board Member in the early 1980s. Over the past 25 years, he has acted in a professional capacity for a number of health and local government organisations and government departments in areas such as strategy and policy review, communications, feasibility & modelling, human resources, performance management and public consultation. Gerald also sits on the NHS Confederation council of members.
Nurse director representative
Jan Fowler, Chief Executive and Chief Nurse, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust
Jan joined the policy board in April 2011. Having spent a clinical career in Trauma and Orthopaedics, Jan has been a Director of Nursing for 12 years, the last four years having been in a combined Chief Executive and Chief Nurse role at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust – a specialist orthopaedic and disability trust in Oxford. She currently chairs the Care Records System (National IT system for the South of England), Live Sites Executive and sits on the SPfIT Programme Board for the South and London Trusts. In March 2011, Jan was seconded to South Central SHA to take on the role of Chief Nurse and Director of Clinical Standards across the SHA. She will undertake this role on a part time basis, whilst retaining her substantive CEO position. In 2010 Jan was named as the Inspirational Leader of the Year in the NHS Leadership Awards. Outside of work, Jan is a Trustee of a national genetics charity.
Jan is deeply committed to nursing and the development of nursing as a professional career.
Nurse director representative
Eileen Sills, Chief Nurse/Chief Operating Officer, St. Thomas' Hospital
Eileen joined the policy board in August 2008. Eileen has been in her current post at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust since January 2005.
She started her nursing career in 1983 and went on to specialise in Accident & Emergency nursing working her way up to a number of senior nursing/general management posts across London. She was appointed Director of Nursing in 1999 at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, moving to Whipps Cross University Hospital in 2001 before taking up her current post. Eileen received a CBE in the 2003 New Years Honours list.
Acute trust medical director representative
Dr Jackie Bene, Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Jackie joined the policy board in April 2011. She qualified in Sheffield in 1988 and eventually specialised in Elderly Medicine, training in the North West before becoming a Consultant Physician in Bolton in 1998. She extended her interest in medical management, clinical leadership and quality improvement and became Clinical Director of Medicine in 2003, Associate Medical Director of Medicine and Emergency Medicine in 2005 and Medical Director in 2008. She remains in clinical practice as an Acute Physician albeit on a much reduced basis.
She is keen to engage clinicians, and in particular trainees to make far reaching improvements in the quality and efficiency of clinical care.
PCT medical director representative
Maureen Swanson, Medical Director, Western Cheshire PCT
Maureen joined the policy board in August 2008. Maureen worked as a GP in Cheshire for 15 years before moving into full time medical management in 1994. She was appointed as Medical Director to Western Cheshire PCT when it was formed in October 2006.
Maureen's main area of interest is the quality of the clinical care provided by General Medical Practitioners, General Dental Practitioners, Community Pharmacists and Optometrists.
AHP/HCS Senior representative
Suzanne Rastrick, Director of Patient Care Improvement, Dorset Primary Care Trust
Suzanne was appointed to the policy board in August 2008. Suzanne qualified as an Occupational Therapist and began her career in the acute hospital sector, moving to practice in community and primary care in a general management role. In 2001 she became Clinical Services Director/Deputy Chief Executive of South and East Dorset Primary Care Trust and was one of the first AHPs to hold a substantive Primary Care Trust Director of Nursing post.
Suzanne was appointed to the post of Director of Patient Care Improvement for Dorset Primary Care Trust in 2006 and whilst holding the Board portfolio for Nursing/AHPs, is also responsible for medical performance matters. Her current remit ensures that services commissioned are effective and high quality and includes facilitating providers to develop new ways of work within the current contractual frameworks whilst demonstrating positive staff engagement.
Special health authority senior executive
Rachael Allsop, Executive Director of Workforce, NHS Information Centre
Rachael Allsop joined the policy board in March 2011. Rachael was appointed as Executive Director of Workforce at the NHS Information Centre in January 2009.
Prior to that, she was Director of Human Resources at Leeds Teaching Hospitals’ Trust, having previously worked at a senior level in a variety of Human Resource functions across all sectors of the NHS. In that role she led a team which won awards for Innovation, Recruitment and Retention and Diversity.
A member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Rachael initially read Economics at University, subsequently specialising in Employment Law at post-graduate level. She is a visiting lecturer at Leeds University where her teaching interests have included Equality and Diversity, Organisational Change, HR Strategy and Practice and Employment Law.
Rachael is currently Chair of the Yorkshire branch of the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA).
Finance director representative
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Steve Warburton, Director of Finance & Business Services, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Steve was appointed to the policy board in October 2010. Steve took up his post as Director of Finance and Business Services at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in July 2006. Prior to that he was Director of Finance and Performance / Deputy Chief Executive at South Sefton PCT.
After graduating from the University of Manchester with a BSc in Psychology, Steve joined the NHS in 1989 as a Regional Financial Management Trainee for the former Mersey Regional Health Authority. Upon qualifying as an accountant in 1993, he was appointed to a series of substantive posts at the Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS Trust (Alder Hey) before being appointed Deputy Director of Finance in 1998.