Paula Woods

Chief People Officer, North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust

Paula was appointed chief people officer for North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust in April 2026, following the integration of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals and Bridgewater Community Healthcare.

Prior to that she was the director of people and organisational development at Bridgewater.

A fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), Paula has worked in the NHS since 2004 and was a deputy director of workforce for many years until her appointment as director in 2020. Before joining the health service she was an assistant director of human resources within the housing association sector in Merseyside.

During her career Paula has led on several highly complex organisational change programmes including extensive engagement and consultation processes, as well as developing a range of strategies to support the development of safe, caring and quality working practices for colleagues, patients and service users.