University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

Amy Freeman

Director of Digital Transformation

Amy has worked in the field of information technology (IT) support and digital since 1998, she joined the NHS in 2002. She has held senior IT and digital leadership roles at NHS Connecting for Health (now NHS Digital), NHS Commissioning Board (now NHS England), Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust (now Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Amy moved to work for NHS provider organisations to be closer to frontline care (community and acute) to help make a difference to the safety and quality of care provided to patients. This has included the delivery of a range of clinical systems most notably electronic patient record systems, patient portals and a virtual clinic solutions. Amy’s ambition is for “geeks to save lives”. Using technology to support the clinical decisions clinicians make with their patients about their care and treatment. Reducing the risk of error. More recently Amy has been interested in how digital can help (or in some cases hinder) the equality and diversity agenda. Using data to drive a better understanding of our citizens. Amy is the co-chair of the Midlands Skills Development Network, which has a remit is to provide the infrastructure for improving leadership and professional development skills, raising standards, and sharing best practice through economy-wide learning.

Ann-Marie Riley OBE

Chief Nurse

Ann Marie became a registered nurse in the early 1990's and has a clinical background in critical care nursing. She has held a number of nursing leadership roles, including Deputy Chief Nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals where she supported the organisation to attain both internationally accredited Pathway to Excellence and Magnet Designations, and Director of Nursing at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. Ann Marie is passionate about creating positive practice environments, supported by collective leadership approaches and patient co-design, to positively impact on patient outcomes, patient experience and staff experience.

Claire Cotton

Director of Governance and Communications

Diane Adamson

Chief Medical Officer

I am a Major Trauma and Emergency Medicine Consultant. The work is very varied and you can be suturing a woundone minute and running a cardiac arrest or delivering a baby five minutes later. I have a strong interest in trauma so work as a major trauma consultant as well so I stay involved with our trauma patients once admitted to the wards. I love the pace and variety that Emergency Medicine brings. It keeps you on your toes as you’re dealing with the sickest patients and making life saving decisions. I love how close we are as a department, we really are the #nhsfamily you see on social media. I first worked in the department as a medical student and there’s no doubt taking a Consultant job here is like coming home. I have a number of memorable experiences and recently delivered a breech baby with another Consultant colleague. To be fair I think we were as shocked as the mum - she hadn’t even got off the ambulance trolley and we were – “whooahh pant and do not push” …so we could transfer her on to the trolley to deliver the baby. A healthy baby boy was born a few minutes later by a shocked but happy mum, so it all ended well. My special interest is in trauma. Outside of work I am the Chief Medical Officer for the British Equestrian Trade Association and ride my horses as much as possible. I am passionate about making my sport safer. The best part of my job is without a doubt the people.. I don’t have a lot of time for politics, healthcare is purely about people, the patients and the teams, get that bit right it works. It’s not heroics a lot of the time, it’s about easing suffering and making sure the family are supported at the worst time of their lives. The job keeps you very grounded as a person - we are all the same in the end and it makes you very grateful for your health. Rudeness and when people are unkind has got to be worst part of the job. Our staff have a tough time working here, especially now and I won’t tolerate any bad behaviour on my watch from patients or staff. We all want the same thing and that is to give and receive the best care possible. I hate judgement, we see a lot of people with substance abuse or mental health problems at crisis point. No one chooses to lead that life, there’s usually such a sad story behind it all and although their behaviour can be very challenging at times as department I am proud to say that we treat everyone with the respect and the care they deserve.

Helen Ashley

Director of Strategy and Performance

Helen Ashley joined the Trust in 2016 following nearly seven years as Chief Executive at neighbouring Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Helen has a strong finance background and is leading on the transformational aspects of finances at UHNM.

Jane Haire

Chief People Officer

Jane has more than 30 years’ experience in the NHS, starting out in administration and as a people professional since 1998. She has worked in both Staffordshire and Cheshire health and social care systems including Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority, East Cheshire NHS Trust, Cheshire HR Services, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust and most recently as Deputy Chief People Officer at UHNM. She has worked in the Staffordshire health system for 10 years and held Associate and Deputy Director roles both in the Cheshire and in Staffordshire since 2004. As UHNM Deputy Chief People Officer she had lead on strategic and operational HR, transforming people practices, workforce development, workforce planning and playing a lead role in the workforce response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jane, who has an MSc from Manchester Business School in Leadership has also worked with the Chief People Officers and people professionals from across the health and social care system in shaping policy, collaborating and pooling of expertise and knowledge in pursuit of excellent people practices that underpin everything we do for our patients and service users. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and passionate about the development of our people both within the people profession and within the NHS roles more broadly.

Katy Thorpe

Chief Operating Officer

Katy Thorpe is the Chief Operating Officer at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, a role she has held since September 2024. She has nearly two decades of experience in healthcare, having held significant roles in various NHS trusts. Katy's career includes positions at Atos Healthcare, Birmingham Women’s & Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, and the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. She has a proven record of leading and transforming services, with key skills in leadership, service improvement, and emergency preparedness. She is committed to personal and professional development, having completed the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme and the NHS Leadership Academy's Nye Bevan programme, and holds an MSc in Leadership for Health Service Improvement from Birmingham University. Throughout her career, Katy has achieved significant milestones, including leading UHNM through elective and non-elective recovery programmes, service reconfiguration, and Covid-19 response.

Lorraine Whitehead

Director of Estates, Facilities and PFI

Lorraine has worked for the Trust for many years commencing as an admin trainee in Trust Headquarters in 1985. Exposure to the executive agenda gave her an appetite to pursue senior management in the NHS as a career path. Lorraine subsequently worked in various managerial roles at all levels across the organisation and has a MSc in Facilities Management from Reading University. Lorraine was appointed to the Director role in 2017 and is passionate about the development of Estates, Facilities and PFI services recognising the vital role these services play in supporting and enhancing patient care and staff experience at UHNM.

Mark Oldham

Chief Finance Officer

Mark is an experienced Director of Finance who Joined the Trust in June 2019 having moved from Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he served 10 years as their Finance Director. Originally joining the NHS from Local Government in 1990 Mark has 30 over years' experience in both the acute and community sector in a wide range of finance roles.

Katie Maddock

Non-Executive Director

Dr Katie Maddock has been Head of School at the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, since 2018 and a Reader in Clinical Pharmacy since 2016, having previously been the MPharm Course Director and Associate Dean for Education for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her research interests lie within the field of pharmacy education, particularly technology enhanced learning, augmented reality simulation, and interprofessional education. Prior to her career in academia, Katie was a hospital pharmacist working extensively across the Black Country.

Margaret Monckton

Non-Executive Director

Margaret is a qualified chartered accountant with a breadth of experience across the private and public sector. She is currently the Chief Finance Officer at Great Ormon Street Hospital and before that, she spent 8 years as the Chief Financial Officer at the University of Nottingham. As well as Finance she has led teams across all of the resource areas including Estates and Information technology. She has been an executive leader for the past 15 years as well as having held a variety of non-executive roles. In addition to being a Non-Executive Director at UHNM, she is also chair of the Nova Education Trust.

Sunita Toor

Non-Executive Director

Sunita is Professor of Human Rights and Gender Justice Practice at the world leading Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University. She is an award-winning academic, activist and advocate who is passionate about combatting gender-based violence, advancing women & girls rights across the world and shaping justice sector reform and architecture to promote human rights for all. She is a cutting-edge thought leader who champions rights, equality, diversity, and inclusion. Sunita's work is underpinned by a commitment to making human rights and justice accessible to the most marginalised individuals and communities in the world. Sunita is wonderful mentor and champion of others, and actively supports the next generation of human rights activists and academics. Sunita is passionate about protecting and championing human rights through fusing practice, cutting edge research and academic rigour to deliver international projects that transform lives. Sunita is UHNM's maternity safety champion and committed to advancing the Trust's EDI agenda.

Tanya Bowen

Non-Executive Director

Tanya Bowen is a data and digital specialist from the retail technology sector, having been on tech corporate boards driving areas of innovation and governance. She has worked in strategy and execution for both retailers and software providers. Her main focus is on new technologies that improve customer experience and employee engagement, and on open systems that allow greater collaboration between partners.

Wendy Nicholson MBE

Non-Executive Director

Wendy Nicholson MBE is a registered nurse (Adult and child) and educator, who previously held the position as Deputy Chief Nurse and Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for public health nurses and midwives within the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England. Wendy has led numerous national programmes and policy developments including the modernisation of the Healthy Child Programme, the implementation of one of the first Sure Start programmes in England and the Teenage Pregnancy Programme for the North-West. Wendy has worked with Ministers, across government departments, NHSE, regulators and social care, her experience spans local, regional, national, and international working. She has also led research and innovation to improve health outcomes, service improvements and to tackle inequalities. Wendy is an Executive Coach and Mentor, and she was a visiting lecturer at Keele University focussing on leadership and political awareness. Wendy has served as a Non-Executive Director with another NHS Trust since 2024 and she also has volunteered as an independent visitor for looked after children and been a member of the BBC Children in Need Grants Committee. Her interests include inequalities particularly children and families, prevention, public health, safeguarding and community engagement.