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Meet the Board members
Executive Directors
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Felicity Cox
Chief Executive
Felicity was the Chief Executive for NHS Bedfordshire and Luton PCT Cluster. Prior to taking up this post in March 2012 she was the Director of Commissioning Development and Transition in the Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes PCT Cluster and, before that ,Chief Executive of Bassetlaw PCT in Nottinghamshire. Felicity is the national lead negotiator for the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.
She is a registered Pharmacist and worked in Community Pharmacy and the Pharmaceutical Industry before joining the NHS.
Felicity also grew up and went to school in Tonbridge and is happy to have returned.
Helen Buckingham
Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Whole System Commissioning
Helen was previously Acting Chief Executive of NHS Medway. She took up this position in October 2010, having joined NHS Medway in 2009 as Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Commissioning and Performance.
On leaving university, Helen joined the NHS Finance Management Training Scheme and has worked in the NHS ever since. She has worked across hospitals, community and mental health services, GP services and the integration of health and social care. Before coming to Medway, she worked in Barnet, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Helen now lives in Faversham.
On leaving university, Helen joined the NHS Finance Management Training Scheme and has worked in the NHS ever since. She has worked across hospitals, community and mental health services, GP services and the integration of health and social care. Before coming to Medway, she worked in Barnet, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Helen now lives in Faversham.
Sarah Andrews
Director of Nursing and Quality
Most recently, Sarah was Director of Nursing and Director of Infection and Prevention Control at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent. Over the years she has held a number of senior nursing posts in the NHS, universities, at the Department of Health and the Queen's Nursing Institute where she was Chief Executive.
In 2009 Sarah was named a CBE for her services to healthcare, and in the same year was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University.
Sarah has also been a Trustee and Member of Council of Marie Curie Cancer Care, vice chair of Action on Elder Abuse and has more than 44 years experience of nursing.
Following her education and training at St George's Hospital in London, Sarah practised for the early part of her career at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and then in community and practice nursing. She now lives near Canterbury.
In 2009 Sarah was named a CBE for her services to healthcare, and in the same year was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University.
Sarah has also been a Trustee and Member of Council of Marie Curie Cancer Care, vice chair of Action on Elder Abuse and has more than 44 years experience of nursing.
Following her education and training at St George's Hospital in London, Sarah practised for the early part of her career at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and then in community and practice nursing. She now lives near Canterbury.
Judy Clabby
Assistant Chief Executive
Judy has worked in the NHS in the South East for almost 30 years. Prior to her appointment she was Assistant Chief Executive at NHS West Kent, having previously been Director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing/Company Secretary at East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust.
Judy’s NHS career began in pathology in the 1970s at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. After a short career break for childcare and experience with a private sector pathology provider, she returned to the NHS and has held a number of senior corporate and clinical governance posts in the acute sector in the South East, including Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and its predecessor organisations.
Judy is married with adult children and lives in East Sussex.
Judy’s NHS career began in pathology in the 1970s at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. After a short career break for childcare and experience with a private sector pathology provider, she returned to the NHS and has held a number of senior corporate and clinical governance posts in the acute sector in the South East, including Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and its predecessor organisations.
Judy is married with adult children and lives in East Sussex.
Daryl Robertson
Director of Performance and Assurance
Daryl has worked in the NHS in various locations around England for almost 30 years, more than 20 of those in Kent and Medway or South East Coast Strategic Health Authority. Having started her career as a Health Visitor, then holding Community Services Manager posts, Daryl worked in a variety of strategic roles covering service development, planning and performance and commissioning portfolios before joining NHS West Kent in October 2007. Prior to her appointment with the Kent and Medway PCT Cluster, Daryl was Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Commissioning and Performance at NHS West Kent.
Daryl lives in East Farleigh near Maidstone and enjoys cooking and gardening.
Hazel Carpenter
Director of Commissioning Development and Workforce
Hazel joined the Kent and Medway PCT Cluster from NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent where she was Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.
Hazel joined the Kent and Medway PCT Cluster from NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent where she was Director of Workforce and Organisational Development.
Hazel has a particular interest and background in workforce planning and NHS education commissioning spanning her entire career. She wants to ensure that the cluster is able to work more effectively across all local partners to develop a truly owned and strategic workforce development.
Hazel has led the organisational development and HR agenda in east Kent since 2007, developing requisite organisation design and development to meet the World Class Commissioning challenge and the need to cut management cost. With an insatiable curiosity for the commissioning and health business, she has willingly taken on responsibility for maternity commissioning since 2007 and more recently managing primary care contracting in East Kent.
Hazel’s successful career throughout the NHS started at South West Thames Regional Health Authority as a graduate trainee in 1990 and has worked in mental health, learning disability, acute, community and primary care
trusts in various roles.
trusts in various roles.
She is a parent governor of Smeeth Community Primary School where her two young children are pupils.
Lynne Stuart
Company Secretary
Lynne is a qualified Chartered Secretary and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators with more than 13 years experience in the private sector working for a diverse range of PLCs and private companies, from a major media company to the UK’s leading food service supplier.
She has a wide experience of legal and regulatory issues and has a particular interest in leading corporate governance and best practice initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of Boards.
Lynne joined NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent in March 2009 as Company Secretary before being appointed to the Cluster Board. Her responsibilities cover the Cluster Board, sub-committees, Legal Services, Customer Services and governance.
Lynne lives in Ashford with her husband and two children and in her spare time enjoys relaxing with her family, learning Italian, and travelling.
She has a wide experience of legal and regulatory issues and has a particular interest in leading corporate governance and best practice initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of Boards.
Lynne joined NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent in March 2009 as Company Secretary before being appointed to the Cluster Board. Her responsibilities cover the Cluster Board, sub-committees, Legal Services, Customer Services and governance.
Lynne lives in Ashford with her husband and two children and in her spare time enjoys relaxing with her family, learning Italian, and travelling.
Dr Robert Stewart
Cluster lead on the development of emerging GP commissioning consortia and the implementation and delivery of local integrated plans.
Dr Robert Stewart has been the Medical Director of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent since 2002. In this role he has made performance and revalidation a key priority which has resulted in a very successful revalidation pilot.
As Director of Clinical Commissioning he has ensured strong clinical leadership identifying and developing 150 GPs in clinical leadership roles within the PCT with an emphasis on the need for a strong clinician manager partnership to effectively commission the right services for patients. He is also a practising principal GP in a rural practice which has a reputation for innovative skill mix working to provide the highest quality of care for patients.
Dr Robert Stewart has been the Medical Director of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent since 2002. In this role he has made performance and revalidation a key priority which has resulted in a very successful revalidation pilot.
As Director of Clinical Commissioning he has ensured strong clinical leadership identifying and developing 150 GPs in clinical leadership roles within the PCT with an emphasis on the need for a strong clinician manager partnership to effectively commission the right services for patients. He is also a practising principal GP in a rural practice which has a reputation for innovative skill mix working to provide the highest quality of care for patients.
James Thallon
Cluster lead on independent contractor performance and commissioning.
James Thallon was appointed as Medical Director of NHS West Kent in May 2007. James studied History at Cambridge University and worked in the City as an investment analyst for a fund management company before studying medicine in London as a mature student. He was a GP partner in Tunbridge Wells for 11 years and is now a salaried GP for two sessions per week at the same practice, supplemented by some regular evening sessions for the GP Out-of-Hours service.
James has recently been seconded as Associate Medical Director to NHS South East Coast for one day per week providing advice and leadership to the development of GP commissioning consortia as well as GP revalidation across the region. As one of three medical directors for the PCT cluster, James will lead on primary care contracting and commissioning, independent contractor professional issues, as well as managing decision-making on rare or highly individual requests for treatment. James has four children and lives in Tunbridge Wells.
James Thallon was appointed as Medical Director of NHS West Kent in May 2007. James studied History at Cambridge University and worked in the City as an investment analyst for a fund management company before studying medicine in London as a mature student. He was a GP partner in Tunbridge Wells for 11 years and is now a salaried GP for two sessions per week at the same practice, supplemented by some regular evening sessions for the GP Out-of-Hours service.
James has recently been seconded as Associate Medical Director to NHS South East Coast for one day per week providing advice and leadership to the development of GP commissioning consortia as well as GP revalidation across the region. As one of three medical directors for the PCT cluster, James will lead on primary care contracting and commissioning, independent contractor professional issues, as well as managing decision-making on rare or highly individual requests for treatment. James has four children and lives in Tunbridge Wells.
Dr Peter Green
Cluster lead on quality assurance, information intelligence, technology and Shadow Accountable Officer for Medway GP Commissioning Consortium
Prior to taking on Cluster responsibilities, Dr Peter Green has been the Medical Director at NHS Medway, Professional Advisory Committee chair and Director of Commissioning and Performance. He is responsible for assuring and monitoring the quality of all providers and independent contractors, including performers’ lists, performance appraisal, and medicines management as well as assuring the quality of all commissioned services. He has been a partner in a Medway training practice for more than 20 years and has been elected to the Medway GP Commissioning Consortium board and elected by the board to take on the shadow responsible officer role.
Prior to taking on Cluster responsibilities, Dr Peter Green has been the Medical Director at NHS Medway, Professional Advisory Committee chair and Director of Commissioning and Performance. He is responsible for assuring and monitoring the quality of all providers and independent contractors, including performers’ lists, performance appraisal, and medicines management as well as assuring the quality of all commissioned services. He has been a partner in a Medway training practice for more than 20 years and has been elected to the Medway GP Commissioning Consortium board and elected by the board to take on the shadow responsible officer role.
Meradin Peachey
Director of Public Health
Meradin is the first Kent wide Director of Public Health, and took up this new post in December 2006. It was a joint appointment between Kent County Council, Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT and West Kent PCT.
Originally trained as a nurse in a health college in Sydney, and now has a Masters in Management from City University London and is a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health.
Meradin has spent 10 years as joint appointments with local government with the most recent in Dartford and Gravesham. This has included introducing health improvement programmes, widening the scope of regeneration programmes to reduce inequalities in health, as well as introducing social marketing to communicate health messages and health intelligence information online.
Meradin has spent 10 years as joint appointments with local government with the most recent in Dartford and Gravesham. This has included introducing health improvement programmes, widening the scope of regeneration programmes to reduce inequalities in health, as well as introducing social marketing to communicate health messages and health intelligence information online.
Dr Alison Barnett
Director of Public Health, Medway
Dr Alison Barnett is Director of Public Health across the Kent and Medway PCT Cluster and Medway Council.
Alison trained in medicine at University College Hospital Medical School, London and went on to train as a GP in Thanet before completing Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine in Kent and London. She was a Consultant in Public Health Medicine for Bexley and Greenwich Health Authority from 1997 until being appointed as Director of Public Health for Bexley Care Trust in 2002. In 2008 she was appointed by NHS Medway and Medway Council as Director of Public Health for Medway.
These posts have allowed her to develop skills across the full range of public health practice including health improvement, health protection, health service quality and public health intelligence.
Alison has worked at a strategic level to lead effective local partnerships to produce joint plans to improve health. She has also worked with commissioners and primary and secondary care colleagues to develop clinical services, using public health skills to identify needs and develop and evaluate evidence based care pathways. During her career , she has worked at Director level for public health, clinical governance, research and development and infection prevention and control.
Dr Alison Barnett is Director of Public Health across the Kent and Medway PCT Cluster and Medway Council.
Alison trained in medicine at University College Hospital Medical School, London and went on to train as a GP in Thanet before completing Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine in Kent and London. She was a Consultant in Public Health Medicine for Bexley and Greenwich Health Authority from 1997 until being appointed as Director of Public Health for Bexley Care Trust in 2002. In 2008 she was appointed by NHS Medway and Medway Council as Director of Public Health for Medway.
These posts have allowed her to develop skills across the full range of public health practice including health improvement, health protection, health service quality and public health intelligence.
Alison has worked at a strategic level to lead effective local partnerships to produce joint plans to improve health. She has also worked with commissioners and primary and secondary care colleagues to develop clinical services, using public health skills to identify needs and develop and evaluate evidence based care pathways. During her career , she has worked at Director level for public health, clinical governance, research and development and infection prevention and control.
Non Executive Directors
Colin Tomson
Chairman
Colin is Chair of Kent and Medway PCT Cluster, taking on the role officially from 1 June 2011, and was formerly Chair of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent. He has been a PCT Chair since 2005 and also served as Chair of the Strategic Health Authority during 2009. He lives in Hythe and has, for some years, been involved in encouraging joint programmes aimed at speeding up the renaissance of the local economy, improving community services and reducing inequalities. He was a member of the Kent Partnership.
Colin is Chair of Kent and Medway PCT Cluster, taking on the role officially from 1 June 2011, and was formerly Chair of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent. He has been a PCT Chair since 2005 and also served as Chair of the Strategic Health Authority during 2009. He lives in Hythe and has, for some years, been involved in encouraging joint programmes aimed at speeding up the renaissance of the local economy, improving community services and reducing inequalities. He was a member of the Kent Partnership.
Colin has more than 15 years experience at international board level in ICI business teams and has lived and worked in Belgium, Germany and Ireland before moving to Kent in 1999 to join Quest International based in Ashford.
After graduating in law, Colin gained an MBA at Manchester Business School, has also studied Marketing at INSEAD and completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard.
His early career was in marketing and general management with ICI Paints, where he led several teams to award-winning levels of customer service. Other Board responsibilities have included strategic planning, human resources, and business excellence.
Colin was on the Board of the South Kent Education Business Partnership, is a Governor at Dover College and is a mentor at Brockhill Park Performing Arts College. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of the Channel and a member of several local sports clubs
Adrian Hosford
Non-Executive Director
Adrian joined NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent in April 2010 and in 2011 was also appointed Non Executive Director of NHS West Kent. He has a commercial and marketing background. He was the brains behind some of the most memorable adverts on British television.
As BT’s Customer Communication and BT Brand Marketing director in the 1980/90s, Adrian was behind the team that masterminded such high impact campaigns as the ‘Beattie’ family with Maureen Lipman and ‘It’s good to talk’ with Bob Hoskins.
He then went on to be director of the BT Millennium programme - a £35 million change campaign aimed at improving the UK’s communication capability before taking on the company’s Corporate Responsibility.
A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the Advanced Management Programme at the Harvard Business School, Adrian was Head of Worldwide Advertising and Direct Marketing for ICL before moving to BT in 1985.
Currently Adrian is Chair of The Communication Trust, Moodscope.com and the Advisory Panel at the International Centre for Corporate and Social Responsibility at Nottingham University Business School. He is also a trustee of I CAN and a non-executive director of the Social& Local agency
Mike Cosgrove
Non Executive Director
Mike was appointed Non Executive Director at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent in 2006, and his role has included oversight of The NHS in Swale. He was formerly vice chair of the East Kent NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust. He lives in Faversham.
Mike’s career has spanned both private and public sectors including education, HR, social services, and the voluntary sector. He has a strong commitment to the NHS. His knowledge and experience of joint working and partnership to support people’s health and social care needs is considerable.
He has a politics degree, a postgraduate diploma in education, an MBA, and a mentoring diploma. Special interests include regeneration and development. He is the Swale Borough Council cabinet member for localism and communities, and a member of the newly formed Locality Board. He chairs the Faversham Creek Consortium. He is a member of the Court of The University of Kent.
Dr Harshad Topiwala
Non Executive Director
Harshad retired from full time employment at the end of 2005 after 34 years in industry. His career with a multi-national oil company included technical and business roles. He was a board member of several petrochemical joint ventures and has held senior executive positions in Europe, North America and Asia. Harshad has been a member of the Advisory Committee for Justices of the Peace for Kent and Chair of a primary school in West Kent.
Harshad joined NHS West Kent in 2006 and was an interim director of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust for six months in 2008. He has been acting Chair of NHS West Kent on two separate occasions in the last two years.
Jill Ruddock
Non Executive Director
Jill was appointed Non-Executive Director at NHS West Kent in November 2006 and has chaired Board Sub Committees focussing on finance and performance. In 2007, Jill retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers where she had spent almost 30 years in a range of finance and strategy-related roles in both the UK and Global firms, including Director of Finance.
During her career, Jill was also very active in the not for profit and voluntary sectors. She worked extensively with schools and young people in disadvantaged areas of London to support them in the transition from education to business. Jill was also Treasurer of the Breast Cancer Campaign for six years. In addition to being on the Board, Jill is a Non-Executive Director at the East London Small Business Centre, a social enterprise whose purpose is to stimulate and support micro-enterprises and small businesses across communities in East London.
David Mayes
Non Executive Director
David, was appointed Non-Executive Director of NHS Medway on 1 March 2010. He has 20 years experience in finance, having worked in London and Asia for a major Investment bank..
He lives in Sandwich, and from 2007 to 2011, represented the area as a Dover District Councillor. He served on Dover District Council’s Scrutiny Committee, as well as being head of its Governance Committee and a member of the Investment Advisory Group, which oversaw the council’s investment funds.
He is also a Director of Sandwich Bay Residents Limited, which is the company that owns the private estate of Sandwich Bay. David also currently serves on the Board of a major pension fund.
David is a keen fitness enthusiast, cycles every day and competes in cycle races. He has trekked to Everest Base Camp and reached the summit of both Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua. He is married with two grown-up daughters.
He lives in Sandwich, and from 2007 to 2011, represented the area as a Dover District Councillor. He served on Dover District Council’s Scrutiny Committee, as well as being head of its Governance Committee and a member of the Investment Advisory Group, which oversaw the council’s investment funds.
He is also a Director of Sandwich Bay Residents Limited, which is the company that owns the private estate of Sandwich Bay. David also currently serves on the Board of a major pension fund.
David is a keen fitness enthusiast, cycles every day and competes in cycle races. He has trekked to Everest Base Camp and reached the summit of both Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua. He is married with two grown-up daughters.
Graham Mayes
Non Executive Director
In addition to his Cluster Board role,s Graham is currently the Audit Chair for both NHS Medway and NHS West Kent. He has lived in Kent all his life, his formative years being spent in Medway where many of his family still live. For the past 20 years has lived in Staplehurst with his wife and two now grown up children.
Graham, a qualified accountant, has more than 30 years financial experience in the commercial sector with large companies such as Kimberly Clark and Unilever. He is still a Trustee of Kimberly Clark’s Pension Scheme and chairs their funding committee. Having travelled the world on business he believes passionately that the NHS in the UK is to be treasured.
Graham is a car lover and in his spare time regularly competes in historic car rallying.
Graham, a qualified accountant, has more than 30 years financial experience in the commercial sector with large companies such as Kimberly Clark and Unilever. He is still a Trustee of Kimberly Clark’s Pension Scheme and chairs their funding committee. Having travelled the world on business he believes passionately that the NHS in the UK is to be treasured.
Graham is a car lover and in his spare time regularly competes in historic car rallying.
David Lewis
Non-Executive Director
David Lewis brings financial experience to the Board having spent more than 25 years in senior management roles in local government including as Director of Resources at Kent County Council.
David also spent three years as Director General of Finance to the Government of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, supported by the British Aid programme. Currently he holds the position of Treasurer to the Kent Police Authority.
David studied economics at Sheffield and was later awarded a Master of Philosophy in Public Finance by York University. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Outside work David takes a keen interest in local community activities and is Vice Chairman of his Parish Council in Wittersham where he lives with his wife Miriam and two sons who are currently at university. He is also active in local junior football.
In his current role at NHS Kent and Medway David is joint Chair of the Audit Committee. He is also Chair of the Audit Committee for NHS Surrey.