Our people

We speak for employers, to make sure their voice is represented in new and emerging health policy and practice.

Meet our leadership team

Meet the NHS Employers leadership team and find out more about the people who lead our work on workforce policy and practice.

Meet our directors

Ben Morrin

Chief Executive, NHS Employers

Ben became our chief executive in July 2026, he leads our organisation on all matters relating to workforce policy and practice.

Rebecca Smith

Director of Staff Experience and Social Partnerships

Rebecca provides leadership to the SPF team, represents NHS Employers and provides an employer perspective in meetings.

Caroline Waterfield

Director of Workforce Supply and Employment Practice, NHS Employers

Caroline has responsibility for work delivering work on areas including supply, safe and values driven recruitment, raising concerns and regulation.

Hazel Wyton

Director of Workforce Solutions and Engagement

Hazel has responsibility for our approach to additional income activity and engagement.

Oonagh Monkhouse

Director of Pay, Reward and Employment Relations

Oonagh leads on national NHS employer policy on employment relations, pay, reward and contractual frameworks in line with DHSC mandates.

Jennifer Gardner

Assistant Director, Staff Experience and Social Partnerships

Jennifer leads our programmes of work on staff experience.

Michelle Wayt

Assistant Director, Workforce Supply, Employment Practice and Regulation

Michelle Wayt is assistant director of workforce supply, employment practice and regulation at NHS Employers

Gordon Benson

Assistant Director of Pay, Reward and Employment Relations (medical)

Gordon leads our programmes on medical pay and workforce, overseeing our work with national medical pay and terms and conditions.

Karen Barnard

Assistant Director,  Pay, Reward and Employment Relations

Employer Secretary

Sarah Hirst

Assistant Director of Communications

Sarah is the assistant director of communications, providing strategic leadership to position NHS Employers as the national voice of workforce leaders

Gayna Deakin

Assistant Director of Engagement, London and South East

Gayna is assistant director of engagement covering the regional networks in London and the South East.

Sam Owen

Assistant Director of Workforce Solutions

Sam is the assistant director for workforce solutions.

Lee Balch

Assistant Director of Engagement, Midlands, East of England and South West

Lee is an Assistant Director of Engagement covering the regional networks in the Midlands, East of England and South West.

Lisa Crichton-Jones

Assistant Director of Workforce Solutions

Lisa joined NHS Employers in 2023, bringing more than 20 years' NHS experience, and moved to Workforce Solutions in April 2026.

Dr Carly Telford

Assistant Director, Do OD, NHS Employers

Carly leads do OD and the delivery of organisational development programmes through our workforce solutions function.

Louise Wheeler

Assistant director (Future People Leaders Programme and OD consultancy), Workforce Solutions

Louise Wheeler is the assistant director leading the Future People Leaders Programme.

Meet our workforce policy board

The policy board provides guidance on how we deliver our programmes and informs our evidence to the pay review bodies and consultation responses.

Meet the team