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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 and Deputy Chief Executive
  • 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:

  • Chairman
  • 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 McGuirk joined us as chairman in April 2015.
Steve, who lives in Warrington, was previously a Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Cheshire and then Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. He was a Board Member and President of the Chief Fire Officers Association and had been the principal adviser on fire and rescue matters to the Local Government Association. 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. He retains an interest as a Trustee of the Fire Research and Training Trust.
He has been  Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester for a number of years and, in that capacity, is an assessor for the Queens Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS).
He has extensive experience in governance of public authorities and is also, currently, an Expert Witness to the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry, as well as being a member of the Strategic Advisory Board to the new, National Leadership Centre (NLC).
Steve was appointed as Chairman Of the Trust on a three year term, following an extensive recruitment process that involved the hospitals’ elected Public and Staff Governors on the selection panel. He was asked to undertake a second term in 2018. He is:
  • Chair of the Trust Board of Directors
  • Chair of the Council of Governors
  • Chair of the Board Nominations and Remuneration Committee
  • Chair of the Governor Nominations and Remuneration Committee

John Somers joined the trust board as a Non-Executive Director in August 2022.  John trained as a chartered accountant and is an experienced leader who has 22+ years board level experience in public and private sector organisations.  For the last 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 May 2014.

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

John has a passion for the NHS and is keen to utilise his range of experience to improve services for the residents of Warrington, Halton and surrounding areas. 

 

Jayne has over 38 years nursing experience and qualified as an Enrolled Nurse in 1985 and subsequently as a Registered Nurse in 1989 and has worked across a number of nursing specialities including Orthopaedics, General Surgery and A/E before moving into nurse management in 1998 within a specialist orthopaedic hospital.

She has previously worked at Warrington and Halton Hospitals between 2004 and 2007 as Head of Governance and Risk Management and has held Director of Nursing positions in both specialist and commissioning NHS organisations.

With a clear passion for nursing, governance and quality, 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.

Jayne is originally from Widnes and has family and friends still in the area, maintaining her links with the local community. She has lived with her husband in Frodsham for the past 15 years.

Following General Practice training in Stockport, Cliff joined Brookvale Practice in Runcorn as a partner in 1983, leading the Practice until 2014. He has been a GP trainer and GP appraiser.  He has been a member of a number of regional forums including Cheshire + Merseyside Cancer Network from 2000-2010. Cliff has a strong patient focus through his GP career and other Leadership and Commissioning roles.

Cliff has previously been Chair of Halton CCG from 2012 until retirement in 2017 and was also the inaugural Chair of Merseyside CCG Network.  From 2015 he was also Chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Urgent and Emergency Network. He has a passion to improve services for the residents of Halton, Warrington and surrounding areas and was awarded an M.B.E in recognition of his contribution to services to Health in Cheshire and Merseyside.  

Cliff lives locally in Runcorn

  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Chair of Charitable Funds Committee
  • Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee
  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Member of the Board Nominations and Remuneration Committee
  • Senior Independent Director

 

Helen joined the Trust as a Non-Executive Director in January 2023. Helen is a Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Chester University, in the role Helen has been responsible for providing strategic leadership of the academic function of the University, including the development of the academic portfolio, enhancement of the teaching and learning experience, and leadership of the Deans of Faculty.

Helen graduated at the University of Liverpool where she studied molecular biology, before taking a PhD in bacterial genetics. This led Helen to became interested in the psychology of learning and undertake a range of leadership roles including Dean of Sciences and Social Sciences. In 2006 Helen moved to the University of Liverpool to lead the HEFCE-funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Helen is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and a member of Jisc’s Senior Education and Student Experience Group. 

Julie joined the Trust Board as a Non-Executive Director in Jan 2022. Julie works for Stockport Borough Council as Head of Fair and Inclusive Stockport.

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

For many years she 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. Prior to joining Warrington and Halton Julie was a Non-Executive Director of Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust for seven years. She has a strong interest in mental health, equalities and population health. Julie sits on the Board of Trustees for three charities including Mind in Salford.

Mike joined the board in November 2021.

Mike is a partner with an international law firm and has practiced as a commercial lawyer for over thirty years with a range of experience representing commercial business and public sector bodies. Mike led his firms Infrastructure Projects group for fifteen years and was head of the Manchester office for three years.

Mike was a non executive at North West Ambulance Services NHS Trust for seven years, has chaired the Bridgewater Hall board of trustees for six years and is chair of a medical charity providing services to music and contemporary arts festivals.

Mike is married with two grown up daughters and lives in Warrington.

Adrian joined the Trust in November 2021 as an Associate Non-Executive Director. Adrian has served in a senior capacity in the 3rd and public sectors where he was responsible for initiatives that addressed both physical and social regeneration. As a business consultant he worked on national government contracts developing and managing cross sectoral strategic partnerships to address youth facilities provision and developing services for our aging population and he also served as advisor to Government Office for the Northwest.

Adrian has managed Trans European structural funds supporting neighbourhoods in the UK and in Europe and he has worked with the British Embassy/Consulate in China and India to support the organisational development of micro businesses. These experiences have raised his interest in social justice and health inequalities. Adrian has served as a Non-Executive Director in a private sector commercial business in Manchester, in the NHS in Lincolnshire and more recently in Blackpool. He was also a NED in the housing sector for 10 years where he served as Risk and Audit Chair.

Adrian presently chairs a Partnership Board in Lambeth whose purpose is to oversee and coordinate the delivery of a £1m local neighbourhood support programme covering four wards in Brixton addressing issues such as youth violence and facilitating social action. Adrian lives in Cheshire and is committed to enabling and empowering our communities to take more responsibility for their health and assisting in developing services that are directed and focused on prevention.

 

 

Dave joined the Trust as an Associate Non-Executive Director in November 2021.

Dave was a founder and today he is the Chief Executive of the Warrington Disability Partnership, an internationally recognised user led charity. Dave is also the founder and Event Co-ordinator of Disability Awareness Day, an annual event launched in 1992 and now run in 13 countries. DAD is recognised as the world’s largest voluntary led disability exhibition.

In 2015 he retired from a 20-year career in the NHS, spending most of his career in governance, nursing and quality, working closely with external regulators, commissioners, managers, staff and patients. The last 10 years of his career he was the Assistant Director of Inclusion & Partnerships.

Regionally Dave chaired the NHS North West Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum. Nationally and Internationally he has chaired and presented at conferences on disability, independent living and equality, diversity and inclusion. He has presented lectures and training to over 60,000 staff from statutory, private and 3rd sector.

He has been a full-time wheelchair user since 1989, which was as a result of a spinal cord injury and a survivor of cancer since 1999. He has a unique understanding of health care services from three perspectives, patient, senior management and now as a service provider.

Dave was born in Warrington, he is married with two children, and lives in Old Hall.


Executive Directors

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

Simon Constable joined the Trust as Executive Medical Director in February 2015. A consultant physician and clinical pharmacologist by background, he studied medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London. Undertaking postgraduate training in the UK and New Zealand, he has had several clinical leadership roles at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals. Prior to taking up the post at Warrington and Halton, Simon 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.  He is a visiting professor at the University of Chester. Simon was appointed Chief Executive in November 2019.

Kimberley is the Chief Nurse and Deputy Chief Executive as well as Director of Infection, Prevention and Control for Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) and is proud to represent nursing, midwifery and allied health professional staff across the organisation. She joined the Trust in 2016 having held senior leadership positions as acting chief nurse and deputy director of nursing at two separate acute trusts in Greater Manchester.  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, she considered strategic problem solving and system-level change. 

Commencing her career at Salford Royal Hospitals, she held a variety of roles before undertaking an MSc in Clinical Nursing. She was an advanced nurse practitioner before moving into operational management as clinical business manager. Moving on to a senior nursing position at Central Manchester Foundation Trust (now MFT) in 2008, she was head of nursing before becoming deputy director of nursing posts at two large acute Trusts.  Kimberley is passionate about the engagement of clinical staff in leadership and the nurturing of newly qualified staff, proactively encouraging professional development opportunities and increasing the diversity of the workforce. Her unremitting focus is on patient-centered quality and safety improvement and is an ambassador for high quality experience for patients, carers and staff. She is a champion for volunteer recruitment and involvement to support frontline staff and in an innovative partnership with a local social enterprise has significantly increased both recruitment and retention of volunteers. 

Kimberley is proud to have led the TeamWHH journey ‘Getting to Good, Moving to Outstanding’ which saw the Trust move to ‘Good’ across all domains in the CQC’s 2019 inspection from a number of years ‘Requires Improvement’.  She was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 2020 in addition to her Chief Nurse role.
 

Andrea joined the Trust in February 2016 from Calderstones Partnership NHS FT where she was Director of Finance and Information. She is a qualified accountant (ACCA) and has worked for the NHS for nearly 30 years. During this time Andrea has gained experience working within acute, mental health, learning disability, community and ambulance services and has led finance, procurement, estates and information teams. Andrea is a strong supporter of staff development and has received personal and team awards for finance staff development in the North West and nationally.

Andrea is currently vice chair of the National Finance Academy Leadership Group. Andrea has chaired the Cheshire and Merseyside COVID-19 Supply Response procurement group through the pandemic to support services across the region to ensure PPE availability for our staff.

Andrea is also a member of the Cheshire & Merseyside ICS Finance Committee and chair the Cheshire & Merseyside Procurement Steering Group. She was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in addition to her Chief Finance Officer role in 2020.

Paul joined the Trust in December 2021 from Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust where he was 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 Northwest.  Paul is also the Trust’s Caldicott Guardian and Executive Lead for Digital.  Prior to joining the Trust Paul was a Healthcare Leadership Fellow at the Health Foundation and Ashridge University and has extensive experience of delivering quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, digital clinical programmes and hospital service reconfigurations.

Dan Moore was appointed in January 2021 as the Chief Operating Officer having joined the Trust in 2018 as the 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. In that time, he has worked in operations management across acute hospital Trusts throughout Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

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

Michelle was appointed Director of HR&OD from November 2017 after occupying the interim position since 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 & Blackburn with Darwen, including both Clinical Commissioning Groups, two Local Authorities, one Acute Hospital and one Mental Health Trust. Michelle has worked in the NHS since 1984 initially joining the nursing profession and through this developed a passion for developing staff so they could deliver excellent care to patients and service users. In 1997 she moved into Human Resources & Organisational Development and has gained extensive knowledge and experience in the management of HR services, employee engagement, staff health & wellbeing, equality, diversity & inclusion and multi-professional education. Michelle is committed to supporting staff to put our 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 in Ernst & Young (EY)’s healthcare advisory practice.  Lucy started her career 17 years ago as an NHS General Management Trainee, gaining a Masters degree in health and social care leadership and management. In the 17 years Lucy has held a number of operational management roles within the NHS and subsequently, in her role at EY, led large scale change programmes to deliver significant financial, quality and performance benefits within healthcare. Highlights include; leading the introduction of the support time recovery worker role into mental health services; leading a £3.6m project to install the first intra-operative scanner in a paediatric setting in the UK and Europe; leading the transfer of paediatric services from an acute to a community setting; directing a project for disadvantaged pregnant teenagers in Peru; developing and delivering programmes to achieve £45m savings across a range of healthcare organisations; and leading the support to the merger of two large acute Trusts.  Since returning to the NHS and joining the Trust, Lucy has led the development and delivery of the Trust’s strategy, as well as leading key strategic programmes, including planning for our new hospitals and securing funding to deliver a new health and wellbeing hub in Warrington Town Centre.  Lucy is passionate about improving health services locally and delivering truly sustainable health and social care services for the future, which enable the people we serve to lead happier and healthier lives.  Lucy is committed to developing others and to working in partnership with a wide range of organisations and individuals to not only deliver outstanding healthcare but also to enable wider regeneration.