Executive Directors
Chief Executive
I was appointed as Chief Executive of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust in January 2020 and have a number of years of clinical and executive director level experience working in the NHS at a local, regional and national level.
I have worked as an executive board director since 1992 across a variety of NHS sectors and my roles have included Executive Director of Patient Services for Newcastle Hospitals Trust, executive Regional Nurse/Director of Operations and Workforce for the Strategic Health Authorities and nationally as Director of NHS operations at both the Department of Health and NHS England.
I have also worked as the Regional Director for the North at the NHS Trust Development Authority which subsequently became NHS Improvement and prior to joining the Trust, I led, on behalf of the North East and Yorkshire region, the early phases of integration and transformation in the Tees Valley.
Having trained as a nurse, health visitor and midwife, I remain passionate about ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality care for patients in parallel with development and supporting staff and services.
Executive Medical Director
I joined the Board in January 2022 as Executive Medical Director.
I am the Trust’s Responsible Officer and Caldicott Guardian.
I am an experienced clinical leader and in my career to date I have held roles including:
- Executive Medical Director South Tees Hospitals 2016-2021
- Medical Director Friarage Hospital 2017-2021
- Deputy Chief Executive South Tees Hospitals 2017-2020
- Regional College Advisor and Council member Royal College of Emergency Medicine 2010-2016
- Training program Director for Quality Assurance Acute Care Specialties HENE 2010-2016
- Clinical Director Emergency Medicine 2006-2016 South Tees Hospitals
- Consultant in Emergency Medicine to date
Executive Director of Performance, Planning and Strategy
I joined the Board in April 2020 as part of its interim management team arrangements and was delighted to be made a substantive appointment in April 2021.
I have over 33 years of experience of working within and around the NHS having previously worked as a senior manager across a number of acute, community, mental health and primary care sector organisations within NHS; as well as working as a senior management consultant for 14 years where I obtained a blend of commercial and extended health care industry experience. My focus during this time has been largely spent on supporting health care organisations to improve their performance and strategic planning functions. I returned to working for the NHS two and a half years ago when I took on the role of the Regional Productivity Lead working for NHSE/I helping a number of NHS Trusts across the North improve their productivity performance.
I have a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) which I obtained from Durham University Business School along with a Certificate in Health Economics which I obtained from Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen. I have also attended a number of management and international leadership training events at both Judges Business School at Cambridge University and at Durham University.
Executive Chief Nurse
I joined the Trust Board in April 2021 as Interim Executive Chief Nurse and was appointed substantively to that position in July 2022. I am a registered nurse with 36 years' experience and for the last nine years have held the post of Executive Chief Nurse of integrated provider organisations in London and North Yorkshire.
My clinical background is in Acute Medicine, Coronary Care and Medical High Dependency and Intensive Care.
I am passionate about providing exceptional outcomes and care for the people this organisation serves, delivered by skilful, respectful and kind colleagues.
Executive Director of People and Organisational Development
I joined the Board in May 2020 after working at Director Level for over 18 years within both the public and private sectors. My experience is as a generalist within Human Resources and Organisational Development.
Other sectors that I have worked within over the years include: Engineering, the NHS (in Airedale and Pennine area), Police (in Cheshire) and Facilities (in Operon).
Over the years I have been committed to my personal continuous development and have attained a Masters in Strategic HRM and accredited level 7 in Executive Coaching and Mentoring through the British School of Coaching. I am also a trained Mediator.
Volunteering has been a personal focus for me for many years having being a Justice of the Peace for over 20 years (currently not active) and chaired the Lancashire branch for the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) for 2 years. I am a Fellow of the CIPD and regularly network with my other senior professional colleagues across sectors to share best practice.
Interim Chief Operating Officer
Johanna Reilly has joined the Trust as Interim Chief Operating Officer. Johanna is a registered nurse with over seven years’ experience as a Chief Operating Officer at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust. She also has experience working in NHS England and in commissioning roles.
Johanna has already been out and about in her first two weeks at the Trust having been to Brampton Community Hospital, and the Cumberland Infirmary to some of the teams including A&E, the discharge lounge and patient flow. Johanna is the Trusts Accountable Emergency Officer overall responsibility to the Board for Emergency Planning, Resilience and Response.
Director of Communication
I joined the trust in August 2021 as Director of Communication.
I have over 30 years’ experience in public sector communication. Most recently I headed the communication team at NHS Blood and Transplant, and before that I led on communication for Newcastle City Council and Cumbria County Council.
I have spent the remainder of my career in senior communication roles in Whitehall including two stints at the Home Office, and spells at the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Central Office of Information. I also spent six years as a press officer with the Metropolitan Police. Before moving to London I began working life as a local news reporter in Cumbria.
I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations - gaining accredited practitioner status through my commitment to continuous professional development. I am passionate about putting great communication at the heart of great public services.
Executive Director of Finance and Estates
James has 15 years’ experience as an NHS finance director in the regulatory, provider and commissioner
sectors. His previous experience includes Chief Finance Officer at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Director of Operational Finance for North Bristol NHS Trust, Director of Finance of NHS England (South Central), Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust.
Prior to joining the NHS, James was a Senior Assessment Manager for Monitor the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts and worked for KPMG in Audit, Transaction Services and Private Equity and as the Global Executive for the Chemicals industry. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Non-executive Directors
Chair
I joined the Trust as Chair in February 2023.
I was previously a non-executive director of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where I served as Chair of the Finance Committee. A dual American and UK citizen, I am a former independent Copeland Borough Councillor in West Cumbria and former member of the Borough Executive.
I am a former director at the UK’s main nuclear site, Sellafield, and was the Executive Director for Capital Programmes and Projects at Heathrow, where I was responsible for the design and construction of Terminal 2. I was the Ministry Of Defence’s Commercial Director responsible for the procurement of all military hardware and contracted services. I am currently and advisor to the Hinkley Point Nuclear project board of directors.
I have lived in the UK for 20 years and have also been a resident in West Cumbria for many years. Prior to that I was a US Navy rear admiral and former Director of Logistics at the Defence Logistics Agency and was Chair of a mental health hospital in the United States. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply as well as Cranfield University.
Non-executive Director
I was appointed to the Board in September 2022. I am chair of the Estates & Procurement Committee, and a member of the Audit & Risk Committee.
I am the Chief Executive of the Cumberland Building Society and leading the UK’s 10th largest building society through a significant transformation programme to future proof its business and secure a sustainable future for its Members, Communities and People.
My background is as a senior business leader with 35 years’ experience in financial services. Before joining the Cumberland, I spent five years as Managing Director of AIB Bank in Northern Ireland and held a number of previous senior positions at Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB and National Australia Group.
My qualifications include holding an MBA from the University of Galway Ireland, being a Fellow of the Institute of Banking and a Chartered Director.
Non-executive Director
“I was appointed to the Board in October 2022 and also joined the Audit & Risk Committee and the Finance Investment & Performance Committee. I also serve on the Board of the University of Cumbria as a Non-Executive Director, and until recently was a Trustee of South Lakes Citizens Advice.
I have a career history spent, almost entirely, in the financial services sector. This encompasses over 45 years and has included time spent living/working in Greece, the U.S.A. and Germany as well as extended assignments in China and the Republic of Ireland. During this period I have worked for British, American, Greek and Irish businesses.
Since 2005 I have acted as an independent consultant providing a range of services to clients in the financial services sector. I am now semi-retired but hold two Non-Executive Director roles and continue to take occasional consulting projects.
Having moved to Cumbria in 2009, I have become increasingly involved in our local community as a Trustee of two charities and with Non-Exec roles at the University and the NCIC. My wife is Greek and we divide our time between Cumbria and Crete.”
Non-executive Director / Senior Independent Director
I was appointed to the Board on 1 October 2021. I am Chair of the Finance Investment & Performance Committee and was appointed as Senior Independent Director in June 2022.
I am a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a Fellow of the UK Chartered Governance Institute of England & Ireland / Chartered Governance Professional. My career has focussed on Corporate Governance and Corporate Affairs. I qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG and worked as an external auditor for 12 years before moving into the NHS as Director of Corporate Affairs in County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority and then NHS Tees. My most recent post has been that of Company Secretary at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. I currently also work with NHS England and am a financial governance assessor for CQC. I am committed to the NHS, its services and its people.
Non Executive Director
Vice Chair
I was appointed to the Board in May 2021 appointed as Vice Chair in October 2021.
I am Chair of the Quality Improvement and Safety Committee and a member of the Workforce Committee.
I retired in December 2020 after 24 years in NHS clinical practice as a consultant neurosurgeon in the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. During that time I held a number of clinical leadership and managerial roles including Neuro-oncology MDT lead, Clinical Director of Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology and Chief of Service, Division of Neurosciences. Several roles reflected my specialist interest in the management of cancer including chair of the NSSG for Brain and CNS tumours, Cancer peer reviewer, member of the National Clinical Reference Group for Brain & CNS tumours and Trust lead clinician for cancer. I enjoyed an active role in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and was an honorary Professor in the School of Health, Durham University, AFP supervisor, MRCS examiner and an ATLS course director. During the two years preceding my retirement I chaired the senior medical staff forum.
I was appointed to the Board in November 2021. I am Chair of the People Committee and a member of the Quality Improvement & Safety Committee.
I was a Non-Executive Director with Blackpool Hospitals Trust from July 2016 to June 2022. During this period I served as Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director of the Trust. I also served on a number of Committees and at different times chaired the Workforce Committee, the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee. I am currently the Chair of Riverside Housing Foundation Trust Board and a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Johns Hospice (North Lancashire and South Cumbria), leading on Finance and Resources.
Previously I served as Independent Chair of the Copeland Geological Disposal Community Groups 2020/2022 and Chair of Impact Housing Association (Cumbria) 2017-2020. I was Chief Executive of Lancaster City Council from 2000 to 2016 and immediately prior to that Executive Director of Social Services (adults and children) at Wakefield Metropolitan City Council from 1993.
I was appointed to the Board in April 2022. I am Chair of the Quality Improvement & Safety Committee, a member of the People Committee, Non-Executive Director (NED) Maternity Champion and NED Armed Forces Champion.
As a registered nurse I have 37 years’ experience working in healthcare at a senior level both in the NHS and Military. Holding the rank of Group Captain, I left the Royal Air Force in 2021 after 27 years. During this time, I deployed to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Karachi, Kuwait and Baghdad. I have undertaken leadership roles in a variety of roles including training, Governance and Assurance, commissioning, clinical and medical planning. I led the medical planning for multiple military global operations including Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ebola crisis in 2014 and the Covid-19 response for Defence Primary Healthcare in 13 military overseas bases. Having commanded at all levels, highlights include leading the RAF’s high readiness medical squadron, relocating the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court to Stanford Hall and working with the NHS as the Military Chief Nurse at QEHB Birmingham. In recognition of my leadership, I have been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS), the Associate Royal Red Cross (ARRC), the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
I am currently the Chair of the national charity Nurse Lifeline and a member of the Defence Recovery Expert Advisory Panel.