The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Dr Brian McKaig

Group Chief Medical Officer

Dr McKaig qualified from Glasgow University in 1991 and undertook postgraduate training as a gastroenterologist in the East Midlands. He undertook a period of research at the University of Nottingham (1997-2001) leading to the award of a PhD. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He was appointed to RWT in 2002 and developed a career in gastroenterology with a focus on endoscopy and endoscopy training. He was awarded a PGCME from the University of Wolverhampton in 2003 and developed the regional endoscopy training centre based at RWT. He has held regional deanery roles as Training Programme Director and Specialist Advisory Committee Chair for Gastroenterology and national posts supporting the British Society of Gastroenterology, The Joint Advisory Group for Endoscopy (JAG) and the English Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Dr McKaig has held several managerial roles within RWT including Clinical Director for Gastroenterology, Associate Medical Director for Revalidation (2012-2017) and Deputy Medical Director (2017-2021). To consolidate his medical leadership learning and education, he successfully completed the Clinical Executive Fast Track Scheme through the NHS Leadership Academy in 2019.

Dr Claire Radley

Chief People, Culture, and Improvement Officer

Claire Radley joined the Trust as Group Chief People, Culture, and Improvement Officer on 30 March 2026. Her previous roles include Director for People and Organisational Development (OD) at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Director for People at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and the Assistant Director of OD at Cardiff and Vale Health Board. Claire has also worked in Policing in local and national roles spanning research, performance, culture change, and OD. She has a PhD in organisational culture and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She has experience in leading large scale culture change work that has improved both staff and patient experiences.

Gwen Nuttall

Managing Director

Gwen has over 20 years’ experience working across a diverse range of acute hospitals, having previously worked for local government in Suffolk. Gwen has worked in various management roles at The Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Barts and The London NHS Trust and prior to joining The Royal Wolverhampton she was the Chief Operating Officer at West Suffolk Foundation Trust Hospital for eight years. Gwen became the Deputy Chief Executive for the Trust in 2023.

Kevin Bostock

Group Chief Safety and Assurance Officer

Mr Bostock is a highly motivated individual with extensive UK executive experience working in acute care NHS Trusts, Community, Children’s, Primary Care, Prison Health as well as Social Care and the Independent Sector. Whilst in the Independent Sector he developed and implemented a Quality Assurance Assessment Programme delivering a reliable quality assurance profile achieving CQC overall rating of at least good in 100% of hospitals/services ensuring that the group was one of only two acute hospital groups with their entire portfolio achieving a rating of ‘good’. His knowledge and skills are in management, operations, regulation, governance, assurance, start-ups, and mobilisation. He holds professional qualifications in both Nursing and Allied Health Professions and is a passionate advocate for the profession having developed and delivered a Senior Nurse and AHP leadership programme which was recognised by the RCN. Mr Bostock has held executive posts as Chief Nurse, Director of Governance/Assurance and as the Director of Infection Prevention & Control, Lead for Information Governance including the implementation of GDPR and holding the position of SIRO, National Speak up Guardian and the national lead for Medical and Nursing Revalidation and Appraisal. He has widespread experience implementing and leading Medical Governance and high-profile patient recalls having led a patient recall of more than 600 patients. He is a credible role model who possesses excellent interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills. A creative thinker, skilled in the management of change with up-to-date knowledge of leading-edge practice and who demonstrates a proven ability to spearhead and deliver innovation alongside regulatory compliance with the vision to transform plans into reality across complex, multi-agency and multi-site organisations and environments. He was a retained lecturer on the Health MBA at Nottingham University Business School.

Kevin Stringer

Appointed 2009, Group Director from December 2022

Mr Stringer is a qualified accountant with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and holds a Masters qualification in Business Administration (MBA). With more than 35 years of experience in the NHS, 22 of those as a Board Director, he has experience of commissioning and provider organisations. His role is to provide professional advice to the Board and wider Trust to ensure delivery of the Board’s financial strategy, key statutory financial targets and ensure good internal control. He is a member and advocate for Healthcare Financial Management (HFMA) having been a past Chairman of the West Midlands Branch where he is now the Treasurer.

Prof. Debra Hickman

Chief Nursing Officer

Ms Hickman started her Nursing career in Wolverhampton, she then went on to train as a Midwife, with over 30 years of clinical experience of which 10+years have been in Senior Leadership positions committed to high quality service provision and professional standards. She has worked across the Black Country in a variety of roles and in the Welsh Healthcare System at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board as both Nurse Director for Acute Services across North Wales and for a period as the Executive Director of Nursing & Midwifery for the Health Board. She has led on a range of service transformations throughout her career including service reorganisations and expansions which have delivered benefits for patients, services users, carers and staff in accessing services.

Simon Evans

Group Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Strategy Officer

Simon has worked in the health and care sector for 20 years and has held several senior management positions. His roles have covered: strategic and service-level planning, performance management, business development, transformation, and programme management. He holds a Masters Qualification in Business (MBA) from Aston Business School and an Honours Degree in Business Studies. Immediately prior to joining the Trust, he was QIPP Programme Director for Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust, where he led on the transformation and planning agenda, working closely with GPs and primary care clinicians. He has also worked in corporate planning and scrutiny for a Local Authority and has led on several projects involving partnership working with primary, secondary and local government sectors. Simon spent eight years working in various locations across the UK as a senior manager for Marks and Spencer and IKEA. During this time, he helped develop the 10-year growth strategy for IKEA UK and was a store manager for M&S. He has a passion for organisational and personal development and has a post-graduate diploma in Human Resource Development and has recently become a Level 7 Executive Coach. He has lectured on Organisational Behaviour and Organisational Change for Staffordshire University, is a regular guest lecturer for the University of Wolverhampton and works with Aston Business School on a range of collaborative projects.

Stephanie Cartwright

Group Chief Community and Partnerships Officer

Stephanie has more than 30 years’ experience with the NHS and has a wealth of knowledge in a wide range of areas including strategic development, leadership, organisational development and place development. She has held Board level roles for more than 10 years in both commissioning and provider organisations and has worked more recently supporting the development of integrated care, neighbourhood health and partnership working. She believes the foundation of integrated care lies in the relationships that are built to enable it, listening to the voice of residents, and ensuring services are designed and delivered according to the need of the population to be served. Stephanie is passionate about enabling environments where patients and staff can flourish and is focussed on developing services to ensure that people receive care in the right place, at the right time and by the right person. Her knowledge and experience in enabling working together as a system and place is something which enables her to strive for continual improvement and ensuring that all voices are heard. Stephanie’s role as Group Director of Place spans both Wolverhampton and Walsall, with responsibility to lead the work and development of both Wolverhampton and Walsall place based partnerships.

Allison Heseltine

Non-Executive Director

As a registered nurse who trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital London, Allison has had an extensive clinical and managerial career, focusing on improving quality, patient safety, patient experience, and clinical quality assurance. Coming through the ranks of the NHS over 40 years has brought experience across a range of NHS commissioning, acute and community trusts, and public health organisations. Having had regulatory experience with the NHS Trust Development Authority, and more recently in her current role with NHS England and NHS Improvement as an Associate Director of Nursing and Quality, she supported the COVID-19 response with professional expertise in infection prevention and control and healthcare associated infections, leadership, and strategy. Prior to retirement, Allison was the Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs – providing clinical leadership, while contributing to the Board’s vision and strategy. Allison was Chairman of the Royal Navy Registered Stafford Sea Scout Group and Vice Chair of St James Primary School, where her daughters attended. She voluntarily brought her NHS governance experience to both groups, and successfully steered both committees through their respective inspections.

Dawn Brathwaite

Non-Executive Director

Dawn is a solicitor and former partner in a national law firm. For the past 20 years she has advised NHS bodies including commissioners, providers, and healthcare regulators. She retired from legal practice in May 2021 but continues as a consultant in a non-legal role with her firm. Dawn is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has led many initiatives to increase the number of individuals from diverse and socially disadvantaged backgrounds within the legal profession, for which she has received several awards. She is a former Trustee of Navigators UK and is a current member of the General Synod of the Church of England. She is a member of the Trust’s Finance & Productivity Committee, People Committee and the Non-Executive Director Lead for Freedom to Speak Up.

Dr Umar Daraz

Associate Non-Executive Director

Dr Umar Daraz, PhD, is a Director of Innovation at Birmingham City University (BCU). Educated at Harvard University in Disruptive Innovation and Strategy, Umar holds a PhD in Polymer Chemistry and Engineering from Aston University, funded by Exxon Mobil Chemicals, Baytown Texas (USA). His expertise spans more than 20 years in senior investment and research and development roles across the public, private, and UK government sectors. He has a track record in shaping, influencing and driving large-scale disruptive research, innovation and growth transformation programmes in the UK, EU, Singapore, and China. He has led on developing healthcare research and innovation programs: Bio-innovation campuses, Materials Innovation Factory, Sensor City, and a Telemedicine Digital 5G Healthcare Test bed. Umar holds various positions: the sole research and innovation advisor on the River Severn Partnership board – a £240m net zero infrastructure programme. He is also the Birmingham local lead for the NASA Space Apps Challenge. Prior to joining BCU, Umar worked at the University of Liverpool, UK Government – Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), and Venture Capital Investment. His skills are in advising on strategy and propositions in high-growth sectors, artificial intelligence, cyber security, digital productivity, robotics, data, healthcare, life sciences, net zero energy, and personalised medicine. Umar is passionate about elevating research and innovation strategies that deliver service-oriented impact, with demonstrable step change outcomes and a reduction in health inequalities. Umar enjoys walking in the hills, tending to his garden, and playing tennis.

Julie Jones

Non-Executive Director

Ms Jones is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales who, after 15 years in external audit at a leading accounting firm, has spent the last 15 years in executive finance director positions in the not for profit and public sector. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer of a secondary school academy in Solihull and is an associate director of a company providing audit services to academy schools nationwide. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director in social housing and higher education and is currently a Trustee of two local charities. She was previously the Chair of Audit Committee at Birmingham and Solihull CCG.

Lisa Sadler-Todd

Non-Executive Director

Mick Laverty

Non-Executive Director

Additionally, Mick is currently a Non-Executive Director of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and also a Non-Executive Director of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, where he chaired the committee that oversaw the construction and commissioning of the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Mick has previously held a number of Non-eEecutive Director roles in the public, private and charity sectors including being a Council Member and chair of the Audit Committee at the University of Birmingham and being a Trustee and chair of the Audit Committee at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust. He was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands in 2018.

Prof. Louise Toner

Non-Executive Director

Professor Louise Toner is a nurse, midwife and academic by professional background. She has a wealth of experience working with the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and within the higher education sector. Since moving into higher education, she has maintained strong partnership working with colleagues within health and social care across all sectors – she is a member of the UK Universities Council of Deans. In her current role, Louise has responsibility for advising the faculties on our academic portfolio, ensuring it is the right offering to meet the workforce needs of employers and the personal and professional development needs of qualified health and social care professionals. She is a member of the Birmingham and Solihull Education Partnerships Group, established to enable universities, NHS trusts, and other healthcare providers to work together to recruit and retain students. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. In addition, she is a member of the British Commonwealth Association (BCA), chairing their Education Subgroup and representing the BCA on the Greater Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham/the West Midlands. Louise has also worked for a hugely successful charity in the UK – Macmillan Cancer Support, where she was responsible for an Education Development Programme for specialist nurses in Cancer and Palliative Care. She was previously Chair but is now Trustee of the Wound Care Alliance UK, a charitable organisation who provide education and training for non-specialist healthcare staff, in the field of Tissue Viability. As a surgical ward sister in practice, Louise has a special interest in cancer care – the subject of her Masters degree, awarded by the University of Glasgow. In her role as NED, Louise Chairs the Quality Governance Assurance and is a member of the Audit Committee.

Prof. Martin Levermore

Non-Executive Director

Professor Martin Levermore MBE DL is a Visiting Professor for Health, Education and Life Science at Birmingham City University (BCU). Martin is a founder and Chief Executive of Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTi) and has been working with the NHS regionally and nationally over the past 18 years, to commercialise and bring to market innovative products and service ideas. Martin has over 18 years at senior Board level in the life sciences sector and sits on the Executive Board of PIONEER as Commercial Adviser, whilst chairing the advisory board to Health Data Research UK (HDRUK). Martin holds a Senior Associateship with the Royal Society of Medicine. He is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment, and Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts. Martin is the independent person for the Windrush Compensation Scheme, reporting to the Home Secretary. He was appointed in 2018 by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, Sir John Crabtree OBE, as a Deputy Lieutenant to the West Midlands.

Professor Elizabeth Hughes

Associate Non-Executive Director

Elizabeth has held many national roles, most recently Medical Director in NHS England, with responsibility for undergraduate medical and dental education and clinical academic training. She holds a number of academic appointments including Visiting Professor at Worcester University and has held roles as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and on the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board. Elizabeth was a founder member of the national charity HEARTUK of which she remains a Trustee. She was recently appointed as Medical Director for the charity.

Rachel Barber

Associate Non-Executive Director

Rachel has considerable board experience in the public and private sector and holds several Non-Executive Director and advisor roles within the housing and police sectors. She has experience within the NHS as lay member at Walsall LCB, part of the Black Country ICB, and was formerly lay member at Walsall CCG. She has held senior executive positions within the water sector with a service delivery focus, achieving successful transformation, linking strategic direction to insight, improving services, achieving high customer satisfaction and continuous improvement across a diverse base.