NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board

Andrea McGee

Executive Director of Finance and Contracting

Following this, Andrea held a series of senior leadership roles that further advanced her career. These included Strategic Financial Planning Manager at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Director of Finance at Mersey Care NHS Trust, and Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Most recently, Andrea served as an advisor to the Health Minister of Gibraltar and as Finance Director for the Care Agency, contributing across both health and social care sectors. During her two-year tenure, she worked closely with government departments and ministers, playing a key role in shaping policy and driving collaboration at the highest levels of Gibraltar’s public service. Andrea is passionate about staff development and is also the national lead for the Talent Management Strategy for finance staff.

Ben Vinter

Executive Director of Corporate Services and Governance

Ben was previously Director of Risk and Governance at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. Before this, Ben was active in the establishment of Cheshire and Merseyside Provider Collaborative and its forerunner CMAST, which established successful foundations for collaboration and system working in our geography. This built on Ben’s first role in Cheshire and Merseyside, where he led on the development of the inaugural Health and Care Partnership and ICB establishment. Prior to this, Ben worked in London and neighbouring counties delivering governance and corporate services to clinical commissioning groups and held a variety of corporate roles in primary care trusts, regulators and Local Authorities. Ben is committed to working in partnership to embed transparent and robust decision-making, supporting excellence in public service delivery.

Clare Watson

Executive Director of Health and Integrated Care Commissioning

Passionate about organisational development and supporting colleagues to reach their full potential, Clare is particularly proud of her work with GP colleagues to support primary care at scale, enabling general practice to transform and thrive. Clare brought her experience of transformation in Greater Manchester to lead complex and wide-ranging work to bring together four NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in Cheshire. She was the Accountable Officer for NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group throughout the COVID-19 response, having previously led financial and organisational turnaround as Accountable Officer for both NHS South Cheshire and NHS Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Jude Adams

Interim Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation (Turnaround)

An Executive Director with more than 14 years of Board-level experience – and 40 years in healthcare - Jude brings a strong clinical and operational foundation. In her role as Executive Chief Delivery Officer at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, she led the creation of one of the first national NHS Trust Groups with strategic oversight of four acute hospitals, community and social care services for a population of more than one million people. Her previous roles include Executive Chief Operating Officer at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust and Director of Operations at Salford Royal Foundation Trust. Jude is passionate about enhancing organisational performance and delivering strategic outcomes through inspirational leadership, effective communication and a deep commitment to people.

Adam Irvine

Partner Member (Primary Care)

Adam is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Pharmacy Cheshire and Wirral, representing all pharmacy contractors operating in Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Warrington and Wirral as well as working in partnership with the other Local Pharmaceutical Committees in Cheshire and Merseyside. Prior to that, Adam was on the Strategic Partnership Board and Partnership Executive of the Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership and elected Chair of the Primary Care Advisory Group. Adam spent his early career at Boots the Chemist, from pre-registration in Bootle to his last Boots role as Group Pharmacy Manager for Warrington. He then moved to Lloyds Pharmacy as Cluster Manager and quickly moved to a Clinical Development Manager role - working with both the NHS and independent contractors to deliver innovative new services across the North West, culminating in a national Executive Business Development Manager role.

Andrew Lewis

Partner Member (Local Authority)

Andrew was previously (2018-2023) Chief Executive of Cheshire West and Chester Council. This followed roles in the North East of England: as Director of the Northern Way (2007-2010), promoting cooperation on economic growth across the North; Assistant Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council (2010-2016); and the founding Managing Director of the Tees Valley Combined Authority (2016-2018). An economist by background, Andrew spent the first period of his career as a senior economic adviser at HM Treasury.

Delyth Curtis

Partner Member (Local Authority)

Prior to her arrival at Cheshire West and Chester, Del held a number of senior leadership positions across health and social care. These included Director of Social Care and Deputy Chief Executive of Blackpool Council - as well as NHS management positions across performance, commissioning and service transformation with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. and Fylde and Blackpool Primary Care Trusts. Del has a wealth of experience and strong relationships across the local health and social care landscape, and a track record of driving the delivery of good outcomes for residents and communities.

Dr Naomi Rankin

Partner Member (Primary Care)

She qualified as a GP in 2014 and has been a GP Partner in South Liverpool for the past 9years. In 2018 Naomi became Social Prescribing Lead for Liverpool CCG, working across the city with the voluntary sector and primary care teams. During this time she developed an interest in working in areas with high levels of deprivation and reducing health inequalities which led to her joining the Health Equity Network in 2022. Naomi was elected to the Liverpool Local Medical Committee in 2016 and has been a Liverpool delegate at England and UK Conference for the last 3years. In 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Naomi became Clinical Director of iGPC Primary Care Network and ran a successful vaccination clinic at Melwood Training Ground. Naomi continues to work to improve health equity both at practice and regional level and remains a GP Partner in Liverpool.

Dr Ruth Hussey CB

Non-Executive Member

After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Ruth’s medical career was established in Liverpool where she was Director of Public Health for over 10 years. Posts at Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority, North West regional level and at the Dept of Health followed before becoming Chief Medical Officer for Wales, a post from which she retired in 2016. She has been committed to reducing health inequalities in all her roles and has served on numerous national policy and advisory boards. She chaired a parliamentary review of Health and Social Care in Wales and was a commissioner on the Lancet review on the Future of the NHS. After completing seven years with the Food Standards Agency as a non-executive, Ruth is currently, Deputy Chair of The Health Foundation and a trustee of The Reader charity. She chairs the NIHR School for Public Health Research Advisory Board and the Care Inspectorate Wales Advisory Board. Ruth is also a commissioner on the review into the use of law in public health emergencies. Ruth has academic awards from several universities in England and Wales, and served as High Sheriff of Merseyside from April 2023 to March 2024. Ruth is the Chair of the North West Specialised Services Joint Committee with NHS Greater Manchester ICB and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. Ruth lives in south Liverpool, enjoys keeping fit, cooking produce from her allotment and is currently serving as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside.

Erica Morriss

Non-Executive Member

Erica has a keen interest in frontline services, honed through multiple senior operations roles. She is a Board member of Healthwatch Cheshire, Trustee of Citizens Advice Cheshire, Non-Executive Director of Castles & Coasts Housing Association and Partner Governor of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Erica is the Chair of the ICB System Primary Care Committee and serves on both the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee. Her passion is working with organisations that strive to improve wellbeing in local communities.

Janelle Holmes

Partner Member (Trust)

Prior to joining Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Janelle was the Director of Operations and Performance at Salford Royal Foundation Trust. Janelle has worked in the NHS since qualifying as a Registered General Nurse in 1991. During her nursing career she worked in a variety of clinical areas, moving into operational management in 2004 following a spell as a ‘health economy’ service transformation lead. Janelle is passionate about service improvement, staff development and whole system working to improve patient outcomes and experience.

Mike Burrows

Non-Executive Member

Mike is the Chair of the ICB Audit Committee. He has an active interest in the use of evidence based medicine and a passionate believer of the benefits of strong ties between the NHS and academia and has championed the role of Primary Care throughout his career in the NHS.

Prof Hilary Garratt CBE

Non-Executive Member

Hilary is a registered nurse and health visitor with over 40 years of experience working in clinical, public health and leadership roles in the NHS. Hilary has held several Director posts across both commissioning and provider environments in addition to holding a Deputy Chief Executive post for both. Hilary has led many local and national programmes of work focusing on improving quality and safety and also improving the working lives of people working in health and care. Hilary is an accredited senior Executive Coach and Mentor and is passionate about supporting people to realise and achieve their potential. Hilary received a CBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours for services to Nursing, particularly her work to safeguard some of the most vulnerable people in society. Hilary holds a visiting professor role at Chester University and Salford University and she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Salford University in 2019. In 2022, Hilary was made a Fellow of the Queens Nursing Institute. Hilary is the Chair of the Shaping Care Together Joint Committee with NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB.

Sue Lorimer

Non-Executive Member

Sue is a qualified accountant and spent her career working as Finance Director of various NHS provider organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside, before joining the NHS Trust Development Authority and NHS Improvement as finance lead for the north of England. Sue retired from full-time work in 2016, but her heart still lies in the NHS, spending three years volunteering at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool. Sue is the Chair of the ICB Finance, Investment and Resources Committee.

Tony Foy

Non-Executive Member

Prior to joining NHS St Helens CCG, Tony worked in social care and health for 25 years in both St Helens and Knowsley. He began his health and social career with St Helens Council in 1987 working in Older People’s and Learning Disability services, before working for Knowsley Council from January 1997 – 2011. His final role was Service Director Modernisation and Partnership (Knowsley Health and Wellbeing) - a strategic joint role across the Council and the Primary Care Trust, supporting the development of Knowsley’s innovative Health and Wellbeing Commissioning Board. Tony has an excellent track record of effective NHS commissioning and governance. He also has wide experience of financial management and a long history of innovative engagement with service users and carers when planning service design. Tony holds a Masters degree in Human Rights and Equal Opportunities and was born in St Helens, where he still lives.

Trish Bennett MBE

Partner Member (Trust)

Trish has worked in the NHS for over 40 years in various nursing leadership positions in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, in both provider and commissioning roles. She joined Mersey Care from NHS England, where she was the Director of Nursing for the Lancashire & Greater Manchester Sub Region. Trish was responsible for professional nurse leadership and quality and assurance and clinical leadership input into transformation service change programmes. Whilst Chief Nurse, Trish was Mersey Care’s operational lead through the COVID 19 pandemic and into the recovery phase. She has a passion for ensuring that care is delivered to the highest quality and that the patients and their family are at the centre of care. In 2023, Trish was presented with a Chief Nursing Officer Gold Award and was awarded an honorary fellowship by Liverpool John Moores University. In 2026, Trish was awarded an MBE for services to the NHS across all age community and mental health services.