Our Board

Trust board members

Jacqueline Small, Chair

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s chair Jacqueline Small has been appointed interim chair at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.

Dr Simon Constable – Chief Executive

Simon studied medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London. Undertaking postgraduate training in the UK and New Zealand, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry supervising clinical trials before joining the University of Liverpool as a clinical lecturer.

Simon has held several clinical leadership roles as a consultant physician in Liverpool and worked with the NHS Leadership Academy, Harvard University and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on clinical leadership, employee engagement and managing change in the NHS.

He was appointed executive medical director at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2015 and chief executive in 2019 prior to joining UHNM in September 2024.

Simon is also a visiting professor at the University of Chester.

Simon Evans - Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Katy Thorpe – Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Dr Diane Adamson – Chief Medical Officer

Ann-Marie Riley – Chief Nurse

Ann Marie became a registered nurse in the early 1990’s and has a clinical background in critical care nursing. She has held a number of nursing leadership roles, including Deputy Chief Nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals where she supported the organisation to attain both internationally accredited Pathway to Excellence and Magnet Designations, and Director of Nursing at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

Ann Marie is passionate about creating positive practice environments, supported by collective leadership approaches and patient co-design, to positively impact on patient outcomes, patient experience and staff experience.

Mark Oldham – Chief Finance Officer

Mark is an experienced Director of Finance who Joined the Trust in June 2019 having moved from Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he served 10 years as their Finance Director. Originally joining the NHS from Local Government in 1990 Mark has 30 over years’ experience in both the acute and community sector in a wide range of finance roles.

Helen Ashley – Director of Strategy and Performance

Helen Ashley joined the Trust in 2016 following nearly seven years as Chief Executive at neighbouring Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Helen has a strong finance background and is leading on the transformational aspects of finances at UHNM.

Jane Haire – Chief People Officer

Jane has more than 30 years’ experience in the NHS, starting out in administration and as a people professional since 1998. She has worked in both Staffordshire and Cheshire health and social care systems including Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority, East Cheshire NHS Trust, Cheshire HR Services, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust and most recently as Deputy Chief People Officer at UHNM.

She has worked in the Staffordshire health system for 10 years and held Associate and Deputy Director roles both in the Cheshire and in Staffordshire since 2004. As UHNM Deputy Chief People Officer she had lead on strategic and operational HR, transforming people practices, workforce development, workforce planning and playing a lead role in the workforce response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jane, who has an MSc from Manchester Business School in Leadership has also worked with the Chief People Officers and people professionals from across the health and social care system in shaping policy, collaborating and pooling of expertise and knowledge in pursuit of excellent people practices that underpin everything we do for our patients and service users. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and passionate about the development of our people both within the people profession and within the NHS roles more broadly.

Lorraine Whitehead – Director of Estate, Facilities and PFI

Lorraine has worked for the Trust for many years commencing as an admin trainee in Trust Headquarters in 1985. Exposure to the executive agenda gave her an appetite to pursue senior management in the NHS as a career path.

Lorraine subsequently worked in various managerial roles at all levels across the organisation and has a MSc in Facilities Management from Reading University.

Lorraine was appointed to the Director role in 2017 and is passionate about the development of Estates, Facilities and PFI services recognising the vital role these services play in supporting and enhancing patient care and staff experience at UHNM.

Lisa Thomson – Director of Communications and Charity

Lisa is a highly experienced communications, strategy and corporate affairs director, with a diverse background working in both highly regulated private and public sectors. She has worked as an executive director in the NHS for over 17 years in acute trusts, community services and at a national level working with Lord Darzi on High Quality Care for All. Passionate about communications, Lisa has led on a wide range of areas including patient experience, outpatient and community services, and fundraising.

Claire Cotton – Director of Governance

Professor Gary Crowe – Non-Executive Director

Gary Crowe is a university professor of Innovation Leadership attending at Keele Management School and Loughborough University. He previously held senior commercial positions in strategy, business transformation and risk & financial management as a director and management consultant in the financial services sector. Gary holds a number of external board appointments, He served as an independent Non-Executive Director with another NHS Trust since 2015. He is a qualified Chartered Banker and Fellow of a number of professional organisations and learned societies.

Professor Andrew Hassell – Non-Executive Director

Professor Andrew Hassell is Head of the School of Medicine at Keele University and is a consultant rheumatologist at the Haywood Hospital in Burslem. He represents the University as a non-executive director on the Board. As well as his clinical and academic activities, Andrew is chairman of the Haywood Foundation, a local charity committed to improving the lives of people with arthritis and related conditions.

Katie Maddock – Non-Executive Director

Dr Katie Maddock has been Head of School at the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, since 2018 and a Reader in Clinical Pharmacy since 2016, having previously been the MPharm Course Director and Associate Dean for Education for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her research interests lie within the field of pharmacy education, particularly technology enhanced learning, augmented reality simulation, and interprofessional education. Prior to her career in academia, Katie was a hospital pharmacist working extensively across the Black Country.

Professor Sunita Toor – Non-Executive Director

Sunita is Professor of Human Rights and Gender Justice Practice at the world leading Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University. She is an award-winning academic, activist and advocate who is passionate about combatting gender-based violence, advancing women & girls rights across the world and shaping justice sector reform and architecture to promote human rights for all. She is a cutting-edge thought leader who champions rights, equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Sunita’s work is underpinned by a commitment to making human rights and justice accessible to the most marginalised individuals and communities in the world.

Sunita is wonderful mentor and champion of others, and actively supports the next generation of human rights activists and academics.

Sunita is passionate about protecting and championing human rights through fusing practice, cutting edge research and academic rigour to deliver international projects that transform lives.

Sunita is UHNM’s maternity safety champion and committed to advancing the Trust’s EDI agenda.

Louise Bainbridge – Non-Executive Director

Louise Bainbridge joined the Trust in 2024 following retirement from her role as CEO at Nottingham CityCare, a community interest company providing NHS and Local Authority community services. Louise is an experienced finance professional, previously holding senior finance positions in NHS commissioning organisations. She is currently a trustee for 2 East Midlands based charities. Louise is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion; hearing staff, the public and patients voices and reducing health inequalities.