NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - Key Persons
Professor Alan Richardson was appointed as chairman in January 2016, officially taking up the post in March.
A chartered engineer by background, Alan has a wealth of experience running large and successful organisations. He has served on several boards, most notably Scottish Power Plc, Reyrolle Ltd and Glasgow Development Agency.
Before returning to the North East in 2015, Alan served as Chair of Coventry University for six years.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
- Specialist
Andrew joined the trust as a Non-Executive Director in December 2019, having previously held a range of senior digital transformation roles in both the public and private sectors.
Andrew is a specialist in business change, with a particular focus on digital, data, and cyber-security. He spent his early career delivering business transformation programmes in the private sector, particularly in the telecoms industry.
Andrew was a senior civil servant for five years at the Department for Work and Pensions. He later served as deputy director of the Government Digital Service in the Cabinet Office, and led the creation of the Government Transformation Strategy, which was published in February 2017. Andrew moved back to his native North East in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Director
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
Bernie McCardle joined the trust in July 2018 as a Non-Executive Director following an extensive career in public service, including Northumbria Police.
Bernie is an experienced human resources director whose career has spanned the public sector, including public transport, local government and police.
After retiring from his role as corporate services director with Northumbria Police in 2016, Bernie set up his own HR consultancy company and has worked on a variety of projects including social housing, higher education and prison services.
Birju Bartoli was named Chief Operating Officer in 2022, after previously being Executive Director of Performance and Improvement since 2018. Before both of these roles, Birju was Executive Director of Systems, Strategy and Transformation.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Medical Director
Dr Alistair Blair was appointed Executive Medical Director in April 2021, having previously held the role of GP medical director since 2018 where his role was to lend a clinical voice to the leadership team and advocate for the patient at the organisation's highest levels. He continues to work clinically as a GP in Northumberland.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Medical Director
Dr Jeremy Rushmer was appointed executive medical director in March 2016, providing clinical leadership on all aspects of patient safety, quality of care and clinical strategy.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of People and Organisational Development
Kate Thompson was appointed Executive Director of People and Organisational Development in April 2022, having previously held the role of Deputy Director.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals, and Executive Director for Surgery and Community Services
Marion is our Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, and also our Chief Operating Officer for surgery.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
As part of Martin's role as a Non-Executive Director at the trust, he is the Senior Independent Director.
Martin joined the trust in January 2016 and brings extensive experience at Board level, having been chief executive of South Tyneside Homes and Four Housing Group, as well as finance director at North Tyneside and North Tees General Hospitals.
More recently, Martin moved from executive to non-executive roles, including Board membership of Advance Northumberland, vice-chair of audit at Sunderland City Council and Tyne and Wear Fire Service.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
Moira joined the trust as a Non-Executive Director in May 2017 and has considerable experience over many years in NHS management working across the North East and Cumbria.
She has held director roles in South of Tyne and Wear PCT and the North of England Cancer Network. Moira retired from the NHS in March 2013 before establishing a consultancy company and undertaking a range of health service projects, most recently she was the managing director of Northumbria Primary Care.
Moira has a keen interest in quality and patient safety and is the designated Non-Executive Director for the trust's emergency preparedness and maternity safety champion at Board level for the trust.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of Finance
Paul Dunn has been executive director of finance since 2004.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
Phil joined as a Non-Executive Director in February 2022 following a 40-year career in accountancy and financial services, mainly with Deloitte.
After graduating from the University of Newcastle, Phil became an audit trainee at Touche Ross & Co. Newcastle (now Deloitte LLP) before gaining Qualified Chartered Accountant status.
Following a five-year spell as a lecturer and director at Financial Training Ltd (now Kaplan), he returned to Deloitte, initially in the Newcastle audit practice and was admitted to partnership in 1992.
Prior to retirement in 2020, his focus was on healthcare, having set up the the Deloitte Health Transactions and Restructuring team in 2011, before being appointed Head of Deloitte UK Health Practice in 2016. Post-retirement, he has also worked as an independent consultant for Northumbria Healthcare.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
Ruth joined the trust as a Non-Executive Director in January 2020 following a career spent as a commercial lawyer, she was previously a partner in two large law firms in Newcastle.
Ruth has worked with clients in many public sector fields including the NHS, local government and education. She has particular expertise in the field of procurement, contractual and development matters.
Ruth is actively engaged in the charitable sector and is a volunteer with Re-engage and Beach Access North East. She is also a qualified florist.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Profile / Professor Sir Alan Craft / Non - Executive Director
- Professor
- Research and Patient Care Professor
Professor Sir Alan Craft joined the trust as a non-executive director in October 2018 following a 40-year career as a doctor, educator and innovator.
Professor Craft, a Northumberland resident and author of over 350 papers, review articles and books, began his medical career in 1969 before specialising first in paediatric medicine and then in paediatric oncology.
He held the presidency of the Royal College of Paediatrics between 2003 and 2006 and that of the International Paediatric Oncology Society for over six years between 1999 and 2005.
A pioneer of treatment, research and patient care Professor Craft has led studies into the management of bone tumours and the evaluation of screening for neuroblastoma; to name but two.
Sir James returned to his role as Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT in November 2017 after a two-year secondment in a national role as Chief Executive of NHS Improvement. He was knighted in 2018 for services to healthcare and has been at the forefront of the region's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw his Trust set up its own factory to make PPE.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Profile
Steve joined the trust as a Non-Executive Director in February 2022 and is currently chief executive of Tyne Housing Group.
Steve joined the trust as a Non-Executive Director in February 2022 and is currently chief executive of Tyne Housing Group.
He joined the Tyne team in early 2019 on the back of more than 20 years' experience working with homeless people and 13 years' experience in management and leadership.
Prior to joining Tyne, he held the position of area director (north) with Depaul UK, overseeing services such as supported and dispersed accommodation and prevention services.
Alongside this, Steve worked on secondment as a specialist adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, acting as a local voice in national policy.
Within this role, he was able to help local authorities implement the Homelessness Reduction Act and the Rough Sleeping Initiative, which reversed the rising trend of people sleeping rough in England for the first time in a decade.