Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors is a unitary board, and has a wide range of skills with a number of Directors having a medical, nursing or other health professional background. The Non-Executive Directors have wide-ranging expertise and experience, with backgrounds in finance, audit, estates, property, business development, primary care, organisational development and research. The Board believes that it is balanced and complete in its composition, and appropriate to the requirements of the organisation. The Board has overall responsibility for the implementation of our strategy, policy and performance through the forward plan and our values. 

The Board meetings are held bi-monthly and are open to the public. The agenda papers are published in advance and are available for the current year and previous years. The Board of Directors have a responsibility to declare relevant interests as defined in Sections 12.22 to 12.32 of our Constitution.

• Non-Executive Directors (Voting)

  Peter White, Chair

  Peter joined the Trust in August 2023 and is also Chair of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the largest combined urgent and emergency care service in the UK. Peter has held his position within NWAS since February 2019 and his term of office runs until the end of January 2025. Peter, who has been a non-Executive Director of NWAS since 2014, was previously Vice Chairman, with specific responsibility for performance and quality as well as leading on behalf of the board on EPRR (Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response). Peter has also been a non executive in a national housing association and chaired their neighbourhood services committee, where he was responsible for gaining assurance relating to safety and performance. Peter was instrumental in developing the organisations approach to risk management and performance monitoring.
   

  Originally from Leyland and now a resident of the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, Peter enjoyed a varied career policing all areas of Lancashire from 1983 until his retirement in 2013, most of his operational policing career centred around Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire before being promoted to senior positions including Head of Uniform Specialist Operations, Commander of Preston division, head of the force’s corporate change programme and finally Assistant Chief Constable responsible for the People portfolio. In these senior roles Peter led the delivery of multi agency approaches to gun and gang crime, transformation of services in response to budget cuts and latterly the development and implementation of wellbeing and diversity strategies that subsequently supported the development of strategies at a national police level.

   

  Tim Ballard, Non-Executive Director

  Tim Ballard was born and brought up in Lancashire and after qualifying in medicine he went into general practice in 1988.  He was a GP trainer for about 25 years and was an Examiner for 21 years for the membership examination of the Royal College of GPs and for a period led the Simulated Surgery module assessing the consultation skills of doctors.  Tim was a nationally elected member of Council at the Royal College of GPs for 12 years and served as Vice Chair at the RCGP from 2013 to 2016.

  Since 2016 Tim has been a National Clinical Advisor at CQC giving clinical advice to the commission around the areas of general practice, independent primary care, online and digital health, as well as supporting CQC inspections.  Tim is a keen advocate for environmental sustainability especially as it relates to healthcare.

   

  Victoria Crorken, Non-Executive Director

  Victoria is the Board-level Ockenden Maternity Safety Champion. Victoria is an experienced senior leader within public sector and commercial environments. With 26 years operational policing experience in Lancashire Constabulary, she has a deep understanding of the complex socio-economic and health challenges within local communities and has developed collaborative cross – sector partnerships to tackle inequality. Currently the Head of Risk for the Co-op Group Ltd, Victoria led the transformational change of the Crime, Security, Regulatory Compliance and Business Resilience strategy and her particular areas of expertise are stakeholder partnership collaborations, governance, risk management and regulatory oversight. Victoria has an MBA from the University of Central Lancashire Business School and is also the vice-chair of governors for Co-op Academy Leeds.

  Paul O’Neill, Vice Chair

  

  Paul is Professor Emeritus at the Manchester University and Consultant Physician with special interests in elderly care and stroke medicine.  He has been the Head of School and Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences.  He received a National Teaching Fellowship and has published extensively in medical education and clinical research, as well as co-authoring six books.  Internationally, Paul was a member of Faculty for the Harvard-Macy medical educators programme and acts as an education consultant internationally.  On behalf of the Medical Schools Council, he led the work on devising a new selection system for the Foundation Programme implemented in 2012.  His has an interest in patient and public involvement in medical education and established the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience at Manchester.  In 2013, he was awarded the President’s Medal of the Academy of Medical Educators for his achievements.  Paul continues to work extensively for the General Medical Council in quality assuring undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and is a Consultant at the Manchester University Foundation Trust.  Paul is the Chair of the Trust’s Education, Training and Research Committee.

  Uzair Patel, Non-Executive Director

  Uzair is a Chartered Accountant and senior finance professional with deep and wide-ranging experience across global banking in a range of technical and commercially focused roles. He is a board member of Torus Foundation supporting communities in Liverpool and the surrounding areas. He was previously a board member at the national domestic-violence and abuse charity, Safe Lives, as well as Chair of Audit and Risk at King’s College London Students’ Union. He was co-creator of the award-winning #ThisIsMe mental-health campaign at Barclays and across the City of London in partnership with the Lord Mayor of London. He read Biomedical Sciences at King’s College London with a focus on neuroscience and pharmacology.

  Kate Smyth, Non-Executive Director

  

  Kate is a chartered town planner and worked in planning and economic development for many years in local authorities across the North West.  She then ran her own consultancy business for 25 years specialising in economic development and disability, and has extensive experience working in the public and community and voluntary sectors.  From 2012 to 2019, she was the Lay Member (Patient and Public Involvement) at Calderdale CCG.  Kate was also the equality lead and the lead for deprivation, poverty and housing.  From 2010 to 2019, she was an independent Board member (latterly, the Deputy Chair) at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing and the equality champion.  She is currently a Lay Leader at Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre and in 2019 was appointed to the North West Regional Stakeholder Network, established by the Cabinet Office Disability Unit. Kate is the Chair of the Trust’s Safety and Quality Committee and Charitable Funds Committee. In March 2021, Kate was elected as Co-Chair of the Disabled NHS Directors’ Network.

  Tim Watkinson, Senior Independent Director

  

  Tim is a qualified accountant with over 25 years’ experience in senior audit positions in the public sector.  He was previously the Group Chief Internal Auditor for the Ministry of Justice and prior to that was a District Auditor with the Audit Commission, including terms of office in Lancashire County Council, Preston City Council and Chorley Borough Council. Tim has led national teams and taken a lead role for the Audit Commission in the development of methodology for improving the performance of local authorities. Tim has experience of working in major accountancy firms providing audit and consultancy services to the public sector including the NHS. He has also been employed as an accountant and a Chief Internal Auditor within the NHS.

  Tim is the Chair of the Trust’s Audit Committee. He is also the Non-Executive Board lead for Freedom to Speak Up and a member of the Rosemere Management Committee. Outside the Trust, Tim is an independent member of the UK Statistics Authority’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

  Tricia Whiteside, Non-Executive Director

  Tricia is a transformational leader with a wealth of financial services experience having held a number of senior leadership roles within large Fortune 500 and FTSE100 organisations. Her experience gathered over 25 years includes owning aspects of global control frameworks and assuring compliance to the expected standards of control, establishing Strategic Change Portfolios, operational delivery of integration programmes following organisational merges / acquisitions and lead upon significant business transformation. Over the last 10 years she successful established her consultancy business which provided interim management support, with focus on setting up new operational functions and building sustainable internal capabilities, creating portfolios of strategic change to improve operational performance and financial stability, strengthening governance and control regimes, consulting on risk management strategies, and positively responding to increased regulatory scrutiny. Tricia is the Chair of the Trust’s Finance and Performance Committee.

• Executive Directors (Voting)

  Silas Nicholls, Chief Executive

  

  Silas is an experienced Chief Executive and NHS leader who began his NHS career as a graduate management trainee.  He has since held a wide range of general management posts, including commissioning roles in health authorities, management of community services and extensive hospital management experience.

  Silas has held a number of Chief executive posts since 2016 and joined Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January 2024.

  In addition to his Chief Executive role, Silas is the Chair of the North West Leadership Academy.

  In January 2024 he was awarded the title of Professor of Leadership and Healthcare Management – Institute of Medicine, University of Bolton.
   

  Sarah Cullen, Chief Nursing Officer and Deputy Chief Executive 

  Sarah is a Registered Nurse with experience in a variety of nursing and operational roles in a broad range of specialties. Sarah has spent 18 years of her career at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay and joined Lancashire Teaching Hospitals in 2017 as the Deputy Nursing, Midwifery and AHP Director becoming the Executive Nursing, Midwifery and AHP Director in 2019. Sarah is the Executive lead with responsibility for the hospital charity, governance, maternity, children and safeguarding. She is also a trustee of the post graduate education charity.

   

  Katie Foster-Greenwood, Chief Operating Officer

  Katie joined Lancashire Teaching Hospitals in August 2024 having previously been Chief Operating Officer at Salford Care Organisation which is part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (since June 2019). Katie was also the Greater Manchester Chief Operating Officer Lead for Urgent & Emergency Care supporting the development of an Integrated Care Board co-ordination hub. 

  Katie started in the NHS in 1996 as an ED registered nurse and then moved into operations management working within the Greater Manchester system in both provider, commissioning, and private healthcare organisations.

  Katie has led large scale adult community service re-design and transformation and has a breadth of experience working alongside and managing adult social care services.

   

  Gerry Skailes, Chief Medical Officer

  Gerry graduated from Guys Hospital in London and spent the early years of her medical training in London and the South Coast before moving to the Christie Hospital to undertake specialist training in Clinical Oncology.  She was appointed as a Consultant at the Royal Preston Hospital in 1997 with an interest in treating lung and gynecological cancers.  She has held a number of leadership roles within the Trust and North West region including Clinical Lead for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Alliance and Deputy Medical Director of the Trust.  Gerry continues to work as a Consultant in Oncology undertaking a weekly Acute Oncology ward round and is actively involved in a number of the ICP and ICS Committees.  Gerry was appointed as the Trust’s full-time Medical Director from March 2018 and is also our Caldicott Guardian.

  David Stonehouse, Interim Chief Finance Officer

  David has over 20 years’ experience as a Finance Director, most recently in the role of Interim Finance Director at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. He has also worked at a variety of other NHS Trusts, including Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, The Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.

   

• Executive Director (Non-Voting)

  Ailsa Brotherton, Director of Continuous Improvement & Transformation

  Ailsa joined the Trust in 2017 from Manchester Foundation Trust where she was the Director of Transformation for the Single Hospital Programme. Prior to this Ailsa was the Clinical Quality Director for the North of England with the Trust Development Authority/NHSI. She has also held a post-doctoral senior research fellow post, has a Masters in Leadership (Quality Improvement) from Ashridge Business School and is a Health Foundation Generation Q Fellow. Ailsa has extensive experience of designing and delivering quality improvement and large scale change programmes. During this year, Ailsa was awarded an honorary professorship in the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Central Lancashire and is working with our academic partners to ensure all our improvement programmes are evidence based and evaluated. She is a member of the Safety and Quality Committee, Education, Training and Research Committee, Workforce Committee. Ailsa is member of the national Improvement Directors’ network, as well as a registered Dietitian.

   

  Gary Doherty, Director of Strategy

  Gary joined the Trust in February 2020 and is an experienced NHS leader having worked in operational and planning roles at a range of levels including Chief Executive. He has over 25 years NHS experience and has worked in both the English and Welsh NHS, mainly in hospital provision but also at a regional level for the Department of Health. Gary attends the Safety and Quality and Finance and Investment Committees.

   

   

  Jennifer Foote MBE, Director of Corporate Affairs

  Jennifer joined the Trust in July 2022 and has extensive experience of corporate governance across the public sector, including working as part of the Further Education Commissioner’s Team in the Department of Education as a National Leader of Governance. Jennifer was awarded the MBE in 2017 for services to governance.

   

   

  
  Naomi Duggan, Director of Communications & Engagement

  

  Naomi joined the Trust in April 2020 in this newly created Director post, having previously undertaken a similar role at University Hospitals of North Midlands from October 2015 where she was a member of the Board and Executive team.

  Prior to this, Naomi has had senior communications and engagement roles at Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust,  Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council  and within private sector retail.

  Naomi has run her own consultancy business and after her first degree she started her career as a Management trainee on the Blue Chip British Coal Corporation graduate scheme.  Naomi has worked on a number of transformational projects for the NHS including Better Care Together in Morecambe Bay and Healthier Together in Greater Manchester, as well as controversial retail schemes which needed positive engagement to win the hearts and minds of a range of key stakeholders in order to secure planning permission and political and community support.    

  A graduate of Leeds University, Naomi has an MBA from Leeds University Business School, a Postgraduate certificate in Marketing from Sheffield Business School and the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma,  and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

  Neil Pease, Chief People Officer

  Neil brings over 25 years of NHS experience, transitioning to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals after serving nearly four years at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust as Executive People Director and Chief People Officer.

  Before that, he held executive roles at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

  With a degree in Sports Medicine from Glasgow University, Neil shifted his focus to education and organisational development, pioneering clinical simulation in palliative care education.

  His journey includes roles at NHS Hull and a stint as Director of Strategic Development at Hull Kingston Rovers Rugby League Club.

  He holds a Professional Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in organisational development and anthropology.

   

• Declared Interests

  The Board of Directors have a responsibility to declare relevant interests as defined in Sections 12.22 to 12.32 of our Constitution. The current register of all the interests declared by the Board is available here.