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Trust Board

Meet the WHH trust board executives and non executives

The Trust Board has overall responsibility for the running of the hospitals. They are accountable to our regulators such as NHS England/Improvement and the Care Quality Commission.

The Trust Board is made up of five voting and four non-voting Executive Directors and six Non-Executive Directors (including the Trust Chairman) who oversee all keys areas of the Trust's work and set the strategic direction of the hospitals.


Executive Directors are full time employees of the trust. Our eight executive director roles are:

  • Chief Executive
  • Executive Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive
  • Chief Finance Officer
  • Chief People Officer
  • Director of Strategy and Partnerships
  • Director of Communications and Engagement 

Non-Executive Directors are local people who are appointed to work with the trust on a part time basis. Their role is to scrutinise the performance of management within the trust and provide independent views on the work it does - making sure that it is working in the interests of local people. Some of our executive directors are appointed because they have specific experience that is useful to the trust - a finance or medical background for example.

The Board of directors is supported by non-voting Executive Directors who are:

  • Chair
  • Deputy Chairman
  • Senior Independent Director 
  • Non-executive Director
  • Non-executive Director
  • Non-executive Director

 

The Trust Board is accountable for setting the strategic direction of the Trust, monitoring performance against local and nationally set objectives, ensuring high standards of performance and promoting links between the hospitals and the local community. The Trust Board holds a bi-monthly public meeting at which members discuss key issues affecting the Trust such as its performance, finances and where they make decisions about service development and operational strategy. Votes are taken on key decisions.

Executive Directors are required to comply with the Trust's Standards of Business Conduct and to declare interests that are relevant and material to the Board. All Directors should declare such interests on appointment and on any subsequent occasion that a conflict a rises. Details of the register of interests are reviewed annually. To request a copy of the latest register of interests for the Board of Directors please contact WHH.foundation@nhs.net .


Trust Board profiles

  • All Non-Executive Directors, including the Chair are able to attend any of the Board Committee meetings outside of those identified above.
  • All Non-Executive Directors are members of the Audit Committee and Charitable Funds Committee with exception of the Chair.
  • All Non-Executive Directors attend all meetings of the Council of Governors.

Non-executive directors

Steve joined the Trust as chair in April 2015 and has been reappointed for further terms of office until March 2026.

He previously served as Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Cheshire and then Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services, and was president of the Chief Fire Officers Association.

He was Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester and has extensive experience in governance of public authorities.

At WHH Steve is chair of the:

  • Trust Board of Directors
  • Council of Governors
  • Board Nominations and Remuneration Committee
  • Governor Nominations and Remuneration Committee

Steve, who lives in Warrington, is a trustee of the Fire Research and Training Trust and an assessor for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. He is also a Strategic Advisory Board member for the National Leadership Centre.

He was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1996, the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in 2002, and the CBE in 2005.

John joined the board as a non-executive director in October 2022. He is an experienced leader who has more than 22 years’ board level experience in public and private sector organisations.

For the past 14 years he has worked in various senior NHS roles across commissioning, community services and acute hospital care.

His most recent position until retirement was as Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, which he joined in 2014.

John held a regional leadership role in an Integrated Care System and a local leadership role in a Place-based Accountable Care Partnership with a track record of successfully delivering transformational change by partnership working. He also worked as an executive reviewer for the CQC.

John, who trained as a chartered accountant, has a passion for the NHS and is keen to utilise his experience to improve services for the residents of Warrington and Halton.

Jayne started as an associate non-executive director of the Trust in November 2011, and was appointed as a non-executive director of the Board in May 2022.

Jayne has almost 40 years’ nursing experience and has worked across a number of nursing specialities including orthopaedics, general surgery and A&E. She previously worked at Warrington and Halton Hospitals between 2004 and 2007 as Head of Governance and Risk Management.

Prior to that she held director of nursing positions in both specialist and commissioning NHS organisations, having moved into nurse management at a specialist orthopaedic hospital in 1998. Originally from Widnes, Jayne has a clear passion for nursing, governance and quality.

She qualified as an enrolled nurse in 1985 and subsequently as a registered nurse in 1989. Jayne has worked at both local and national levels across public and private health care sectors supporting organisations with risk management and CQC compliance, including responsibility for supporting organisations in achieving and maintaining CQC ‘outstanding’ ratings.

Cliff joined the Trust as a non-executive director having previously been chair of Halton CCG from 2012 until retirement in 2017.

He was appointed as Deputy Chair of the Trust in November 2022. He was also previously the inaugural chair of Merseyside CCG Network, and chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Urgent and Emergency Network.

He undertook GP training before joining Brookvale Practice in Runcorn as a partner in 1983, which he led until 2014. He has been a trainer and appraiser, and a member of several regional forums including Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Network.

Cliff has a strong patient focus through his GP career and other leadership and commissioning roles. He was awarded an MBE in recognition of his contribution to services to health in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Jan is the Dean of Lifelong Learning at the University of Chester and heads up the Centre for Foundation Studies, which delivers the University’s foundation years.

In her Dean role, Jan champions students returning to learning, particularly mature students seeking to enter academia at a later stage of life. Jan has an academic background in the sociology of health and politics and taught in universities and colleges prior to moving into management roles.

She developed a growing interest in local people having access to their local university, particularly for communities that may not always be represented within a university population.

Jan started her own degree journey on a foundation year aged 28 after previously working as a florist and children’s nanny. She began at the University of Chester in 2015 to start up a new department offering foundation years of study.

Jan joined the board of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals in 2023 and is also a trustee for Chester Cathedral Education Trust.

Julie joined the board of Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a non-executive director in January 2022.

She has a background in community development and has spent most of her career in the voluntary sector, working on anti-poverty projects both in the UK and in international development.

For many years Julie was the England Country Director for Oxfam’s UK Poverty Programme. More recently, she was responsible for strategy at the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

In her current role Julie works for Stockport Borough Council as Head of Fair and Inclusive Stockport. Prior to joining Warrington and Halton Hospitals she was a non-executive director of Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust for seven years.

Julie has a strong interest in mental health, equalities and population health, and sits on the Board of Trustees for three charities including Mind in Salford.

Mike is a partner with an international law firm and joined the Trust’s board in November 2021.

He has practiced as a commercial lawyer for more than 30 years and has a wide range of experience and knowledge representing commercial business and public sector bodies.

Mike is the Trust’s Senior Independent Director, as appointed by the Trust Board in consolidation with the Council of Governors in November 2022. He led his firm’s infrastructure projects group for 15 years and was head of its Manchester office for three years.

Mike, who lives in Warrington, was a non-executive at North West Ambulance Services NHS Trust for seven years.

He has chaired the Bridgewater Hall board of trustees for six years and is also chair of a medical charity providing services to music and contemporary arts festivals.

Adrian joined the Trust in November 2021 as an associate non-executive director.

He has held senior roles in the third and public sectors where he was responsible for initiatives that addressed both physical and social regeneration.

Adrian previously served as a non-executive director in the NHS in Lincolnshire and Blackpool, and in the housing sector for 10 years where he served as risk and audit chair. As a business consultant he worked on government contracts developing strategic partnerships to address youth facilities provision and services for our aging population. He also served as advisor to the Government Office for the North West.

Adrian has managed trans-European structural funds supporting neighbourhoods across Europe and worked with the British Embassy/ Consulate in China and India to support the development of micro businesses.

He is committed to empowering communities to take more responsibility for their health and assisting in developing services focused on prevention.

Dave is Chief Executive of Warrington Disability Partnership and joined the Trust as an associate non-executive director in November 2021.

As well as founding the internationally recognised user-led charity he is also founder and event co-ordinator of Disability Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual voluntary-led disability exhibition. In 2015 Dave retired from a 20-year NHS career where he worked in governance, nursing and quality.

He was Assistant Director of Inclusion and Partnerships for 10 years.

Dave has chaired the NHS North West Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum as well as national and international conferences on disability, independent living and equality, diversity and inclusion.

He has presented lectures and training to more than 60,000 staff from statutory, private and third sectors.

A full-time wheelchair user since 1989 following a spinal cord injury, Dave has a unique understanding of healthcare services from three perspectives – patient, senior management and as a service provider.


Executive Directors

Executive Directors are full time employees of the trust. Our eight executive director roles are:

Simon was appointed Chief Executive of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) in November 2019.

A consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist by background, Simon joined the Trust as Executive Medical Director in February 2015.

Prior to taking up the post at WHH, he worked with the NHS Leadership Academy, Harvard University and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on clinical leadership, employee engagement and transformational change within the NHS.

Simon has held several clinical leadership roles at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals, and is a visiting professor at the University of Chester. He studied medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London, before undertaking postgraduate training in the UK and New Zealand.

Kimberley was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 2020 in addition to her roles as Chief Nurse and Director of Infection, Prevention and Control at WHH.

She joined the Trust in 2016, having held senior leadership positions at two separate acute trusts in Greater Manchester. Prior to that she held a senior nursing role at Central Manchester Foundation Trust (now MFT) in 2008.

Kimberley began her career at Salford Royal Hospitals, undertaking a variety of roles before completing an MSc in clinical nursing.

She was awarded sponsorship in 2016-17 to undertake the Health and Social Care Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute.

Kimberley’s unremitting focus is on patient-centred quality and safety improvement. She is passionate about the engagement of clinical staff in leadership and the nurturing of newly qualified employees to encourage professional development opportunities and increase the diversity of the workforce.

Jane was appointed Chief Finance Officer in September 2023, having joined the Trust in September 2016 as Deputy Director of Finance (Strategy) prior to becoming Deputy Chief Finance Officer in October 2019. In May 2017 she took on additional responsibility as the Trust’s Freedom to Speak up Guardian, supporting staff to cultivate a speak up culture.

A qualified accountant with 26 years’ NHS experience, Jane is committed to supporting and developing individuals and teams to be the best they can be. She led her current team to achieve HfMA National Team of the year in 2020, Level 3 FFF Accreditation in 2022 and several other national and regional awards. Jane is passionate about ensuring the Finance Directorate is trained to provide professional advice and guidance to the Trust and wider health and social care system, supporting the delivery of high quality patient care.

Paul joined the Trust in December 2021 from Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust where he was the Deputy Executive Medical Director for five years.

A consultant geriatrician and stroke physician by background, he studied medicine at Manchester University before undertaking postgraduate training in the north west. Paul is also the Trust’s Caldicott Guardian and Executive Lead for Digital.

Prior to joining Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Paul was a Healthcare Leadership Fellow at the Health Foundation and Ashridge University. He has extensive experience of delivering quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, digital clinical programmes and hospital service reconfigurations.

Dan was appointed Chief Operating Officer in January 2021, having previously joined Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2018 as its Director of Operations and Performance.

His role is to oversee operational delivery and performance achievement across the Trust.

Prior to his current role, Dan held a number of senior operational positions within the NHS. During that time he worked in operations management across acute hospital trusts in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Throughout his career, Dan has maintained a keen interest in furthering his academic knowledge; he holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Manchester Business School, and a BSc in operational management from Lancaster University Management School.

Michelle was appointed Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development in November 2017, having undertaken the role in an interim position in March 2017.

Prior to joining the Trust she was Associate Director of Workforce at Pennine Lancashire Transformation Programme and Senior Responsible Officer for Workforce, Organisational Development and Leadership, working across organisational boundaries within East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.

Michelle started her NHS career in nursing in 1984 and developed a passion for working with teams to deliver excellent care to patients and service users. Moving into HR and OD in 1997, she gained extensive knowledge and experience including the management of HR services, employee engagement, staff health and wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Michelle is committed to supporting staff to put patients at the heart of all we do and to enable them to recognise the Trust as a great place to work and receive care.

Lucy joined the Trust in February 2016 from her role as a director at Ernst & Young’s healthcare advisory practice.

She has held a number of operational management positions within the NHS and subsequently, in her role at Earnest & Young, led largescale change programmes to deliver significant financial, quality and performance benefits within healthcare.

Since joining WHH, Lucy has led the development and delivery of the Trust’s strategy, as well as key strategic programmes including our new hospitals bid and securing funding to deliver a new health and wellbeing hub in Warrington town centre.

Lucy started her career 17 years ago as an NHS general management trainee, gaining a master’s degree in health and social care leadership and management. She is committed to developing others and working in partnership with other organisations and individuals to not only deliver outstanding healthcare, but also to enable wider regeneration.

Kate joined the Trust in October 2022 and brings a wealth of experience in internal and external communication, engagement and consultation, crisis and reputation management, and marketing and branding.

She has led award-winning teams nationally and locally in the NHS over the past 17 years, including in roles focused on communicating and engaging about organisational and service change, quality improvement, and research and innovation.

Kate’s most recent NHS role was as director of communications at a mental health and community services provider, after which she worked as a consultant advising private and third sector organisations on strategic communications.

Kate has an MSc in corporate communications and reputation management from Manchester Business School and a CMI Level 7 diploma in strategic management and leadership. She is passionate about effective internal communication and engagement, and the impact that this has on patient care. Kate is also executive lead for the Trust’s charity.