North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Angela Wetton

Director of Corporate Affairs

Angela joined NWAS in September 2016 and has 14 years of board level experience. She spent more than 20 years in the private sector working for several North West manufacturing companies in export sales before moving into corporate governance. Joining the public sector in 2009 and then NHS in 2012, Angela has worked in learning and disability, acute and mental health trusts across the North West. She was part of the newly formed team that led a learning disability trust from an inadequate CQC rating to ‘good’, moving the monitor governance rating from red to green and ultimately enabling the transfer of services. In April 2016, Angela graduated the Nye Bevan Programme with an award in Executive Healthcare Leadership.

Carolyn Wood

Director of Finance

Carolyn has been with NWAS as director of finance since April 2019, having held various roles across the North West starting in NHS finance in 1995 in Salford where she qualified in 2000. Previous roles include director of finance, Oldham Care Organisation which is part of Northern Care Alliance, deputy director of finance at Wigan, Wrightington and Leigh NHS FT, head of finance (Lancashire) at NHS England, and assistant director of finance at North West Strategic Health Authority. She has also held positions in Cumbria PCT, Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust. Carolyn is chair of the North West branch of Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), an Association of Ambulance Chief Executive’s Board member and NWAS’ executive sponsor for our Disability Network. Under her leadership, the NWAS Finance team gained the accolade of enabling the trust to become the first ambulance trust to achieve Level 3 of the One NHS Finance Towards Excellence Accreditation.

Dan Ainsworth

Director of Operations

Dan took up the role of director of operations on 1 July 2024. He has 16 years of NHS service with the past 11 being with NWAS. He has an educational background in law and holds a Law Degree (LLB) from the University of Sheffield. Dan has worked within a number of roles within the NHS and NWAS. Prior to joining the NHS, he worked with the pharmaceutical and publishing sectors. He initially commenced his NHS career as a health advisor for NHS Direct. He worked at all management levels within the NHS 111 service, then moved into the role of strategic head of EOCs for NWAS. More recently, Dan held the post of integrated contact centre director. He has significant experience working at the national level, representing the ambulance sector, chairing the National Heads of EOC Group for three years. He has represented the sector in a range of national service change and transformation programmes. Dan’s focus is delivering high quality performance and patient care, empowering and developing leaders and enhancing the culture within the ambulance service.

Dr Chris Grant

Medical Director

Chris is the executive medical director and has board responsibility for all the clinical elements of NWAS services, providing professional leadership for the healthcare professionals in the service. He acts as the Caldicott guardian, controlled drugs accountable officer, research and development lead, public health and health inequalities lead and is also responsible for the air ambulance. Chris completed his undergraduate training at Kings College London before continuing his postgraduate training in hospitals across the North West and subsequently in both Australia and the United States.

Dr Elaine Strachan-Hall

Director of Quality and Improvement

Elaine is an experienced clinical leader with over 45 years of healthcare experience, 20 years of which have been at board or director level, invariably holding the governance and quality portfolio in addition to professional leadership. Since COVID, Elaine has worked in a consultancy capacity assisting NHS trusts with large scale improvement programmes and individual ‘test of change’ projects. As a registered nurse who has recently completed her doctorate in nursing, she has a special interest in digital innovation and strategic nursing leadership. In March 2025, Elaine stepped in to support NWAS in the role of executive director of quality, with responsibility for patient safety and improvement.

Lisa Ward KAM

Deputy Chief Executive and Director of People

Lisa has held the role of director of people since July 2018, initially in an interim position until taking up the role permanently in 2020. Prior to this Lisa had extensive experience in senior human resources leadership roles in NWAS and its predecessor organisation Greater Manchester Ambulance Service. Prior to joining the ambulance service, Lisa spent 10 years in human resources management roles in the Midlands and North West working for the rail industry, having joined as a graduate management trainee following graduation with a degree in history from the University of East Anglia.

Michael Gibbs

Director of Strategy and Partnerships

Mike joined NWAS in July 2025 as director of strategy and partnerships. He brings over 15 years of NHS experience, having initially trained as a paramedic and progressed through a range of senior clinical, operational and strategic roles across both acute and ambulance services in England. His academic background includes an MBA, an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice, a BSc (Hons) in Emergency Practice, and a FdSc in Pre-Hospital Unscheduled and Emergency Care. Prior to joining the NHS, Mike spent 10 years working in the electrical engineering industry. In 2015, Mike was awarded the Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa by Her Majesty’s Government, in recognition of his contribution to the international response in Sierra Leone. Mike is known for his collaborative and values-driven leadership style, with a strong focus on delivering sustainable, patient-centred improvements. He has played a leading role in system-level transformation programmes, working closely with commissioners, providers, and local government partners to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities. As director of strategy and partnerships, Mike is responsible for shaping the trust’s long-term strategic direction and building effective partnerships across the health and care system.

Anne Cooper

Vice Chair

Anne was appointed as non-executive director on 12 January 2026 for three years. Anne is a nurse by background and previously worked as chief nurse at NHS Digital, with responsibility for clinical safety of systems, quality and the use of digital tools to support care delivery. She has extensive experience in senior leadership and non-executive roles in and alongside the NHS. She also has personal experience of using health services as a patient with a long-term condition. Her interests include leadership and governance, patient safety, staff wellbeing, and ensuring ambulance services play an effective role in delivering care within the urgent and emergency care system. Committee Membership: Nominations and Remuneration Committee Resources Committee Quality and Performance Committee

Catherine Butterworth

Senior Independent Director

Appointed as non-executive director 1 April 2022. Cathy’s final term of office ends 31 March 2028. Alongside her role as senior independent director, Cathy is the wellbeing guardian and is also the NED champion for security management. Cathy also holds a non-executive director position for three health and social care companies in Oldham and is currently operating as interim chair of MioCare Board. As well as numerous HR roles for both Greater Manchester Police and the British Transport Police, Cathy was assistant director of people for Oldham Council from 2012-2018. An HR consultant for various NHS organisations, Cathy has delivered workforce strategy and planning aspects of HR and has contributed to transformational change across organisations and their partners, including the integration of health and social care at regional and borough levels. Committee Membership: Nominations and Remuneration Committee Resources Committee Charitable Funds Committee

Clare Todd

Non-Executive Director

Clare was appointed as non-executive director on 1 April 2026 for three years. Clare is the Freedom to Speak Up NED champion. Clare has had an extensive career in the NHS as a frontline adult, children’s and community nurse as well as director of nursing and quality roles and board level nurse roles in both provider and commissioning organisations. She is currently a non-executive director at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust which has helped her develop a keen understanding of the impact of mental ill health on patients, families, staff and services. Clare has significant experience of partnership and system working as well as organisational change within the NHS over the years. Her real passions are supporting staff and driving forward the quality and patient safety agendas wherever she works. Committee Membership: Nominations and Remuneration Committee Quality and Performance Committee (Chair) Audit Committee Charitable Funds Committee

Dr Aneez Esmail

Non-Executive Director

Aneez joined the trust on 1 April 2021 as non-executive director and is currently chair of the Quality and Performance Committee. Esmail is Emeritus Professor of General Practice at the University of Manchester. He has experience as a researcher, teacher, and clinician. His research interests are focused on patient safety, burnout in healthcare professionals, inequalities in health, the organisation and delivery of health services and public health. He has published over 100 academic papers in these areas. Aneez worked as the medical advisor to the appeal court judge who chaired the Shipman Inquiry between 2001-2005, and played a key role in developing the recommendations that resulted in significant changes on the reform of the General Medical Council, death certification and investigation, controlled drugs regulation and the regulation and revalidation of doctors.

Graeme Chapman

Non-Executive Director

Graeme was appointed as non-executive director on 1 January 2026 for three years. Graeme is the EPRR NED Champion. Graeme is an experienced industry professional, chair and non-executive director with over 30 years’ experience delivering business transformation to commercial and public sector customers and partners. Graeme has strong multi-industry knowledge in healthcare, life sciences, government, financial services, manufacturing and utilities. Graeme is qualified to master’s degree level in engineering and holds post-graduate qualifications in marketing and management. Graeme spent his early career in engineering but spent most of his career in information technology. Graeme worked at Microsoft for over 20 years, spending 10 years specialising in health and life sciences with a significant focus on digital transformation. Prior to serving as a non-executive director at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust Graeme served as a non-executive director at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and was the chair of the Quality and Digital & Data committees. In addition, Graeme was the chair of Newcastle Health Innovation Partners, the Academic Health Science Centre for the North East and North Cumbria. Committee Membership: Nominations and Remuneration Committee Resources Committee (Chair) Audit Committee Quality and Performance Committee

Nic Gower

Non-Executive Director

Nic was appointed as non-executive director on 12 January 2026 for three years. He is also a non-executive director of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. After graduating from Manchester University, Nic trained as a chartered accountant. He spent the majority of his professional career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and its predecessor firms, including more than 20 years as a partner specialising in audit, assurance and risk management. More recently, Nic has served as a non-executive director in several sectors including the NHS. Committee Membership: Nominations and Remuneration Committee Audit Committee (Chair) Resources Committee Charitable Funds Committee (Chair)