Current Assignments

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Interim Director of HR (part time) until November 2008.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Consultancy project working with ST. George’s, University of London and Kingston University to deliver university teaching trust status.

Assura Management Services
Retained for consultancy on PQQ and ITT bid applications for Assura Group.


An NHS mental health trust (January to march 2008)
Conducted an investigation into the behavior of a medical consultant in an NHS trust.

Brent Teaching PCT (October 2007 to February 2008)

Interim HR Director implemented new management structure, delivered on HR turnaround and positioned HR function to deliver £1million savings and added value to the PCT’s business programme.

The Caldecott Foundation (August 2007)

Commissioned to audit the HR function and make recommendations on future direction of HR.

Brighton & Hove City PCT (April to August 2007)

Commissioned to implement PCT’s restructuring programme and various HR consultancy projects

Mercury Health Ltd (December 2006 to April 2007)

Commissioned to as HR Lead on two ISTC projects; West Midlands Diagnostic (mobile) Treatment Centres (£130m) from preferred bidder stage to implementation and the Essex Elective Surgery Centres (£170m) from preferred bidder to financial close stages. The projects required working with the Mercury Health project teams as the HR lead and meeting with the Department of Health CCPU and CCMU teams to achieve a successful implementation of these multi million pound projects.



Royal College of Nursing (January 2007 to March 2007)

Commissioned to develop a new lease car scheme, undertake a consultation process and advise RCN directors on the implementation of the new scheme.

Consultancy projects for various clients (August 2006 to December 2006)

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (formerly Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust (March 2006 to August 2006)

The Trust provides A&E and Patient Transport services to the counties of Sussex, Surrey and Kent. It employs 3600 staff and a turnover exceeding £140 million per annum.
Commissioned as Interim Director of HR & OD for Sussex Ambulance Service to lead on all pre and post merger HR issues for this trust’s merger with the Kent and Surrey ambulance trusts in July 2006 and deliver improved performance from the Sussex HR team. Worked as member of executive team and delivered completion of Agenda for Change, Assisted with the successful implementation of the ESR project, reinvigorated the IWL Practice Plus initiative that led to a successful validation and gave leadership and direction to the HR team to improve performance. Set up and delivered executive appointments process for the new Trust.


Surrey & Borders Partnership NHS Trust (June 2005 to February 2006)

This is a newly formed Trust, created by the merger of three mental health and learning disability trusts in Surrey, that provides mental health and learning disability services to all of the county of Surrey and north east Hampshire. It employs 4,000 staff and has a turnover exceeding £154 million per annum. Commissioned as the Interim Director of Workforce and Communication to deal with post merger workforce issues, make directorate savings of 15%, and ensure the delivery of the ESR pilot project, Agenda for Change and Improving Working Lives initiatives.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust (August 2004 to June 2005)

The Devon Partnership NHS Trust provides mental health and learning disability services to all of the county of Devon, with the exception of the City of Plymouth and a small part of the South Hams and West Devon. It employs more than 2,700 staff and has a turnover exceeding £80 million per annum.

Commissioned to undertake Interim HR Director role with brief to provide leadership to the HR team, align the HR agenda with the Trust’s business agenda and work as a member of the Executive Team to improve the Trust’s performance.
• Worked to the Chief Executive and Chairman as a full Board and Executive Team member to deliver the Trust’s business agenda.
• Reconfigured the HR function to make it fit for purpose to deliver the Trust’s future agenda on service reconfiguration and the successful implementation of national NHS HR agenda, i.e. Agenda for Change, Improving Working Lives (IWL), Electronic Staff Record (ESR).
• Made significant financial savings by fast tracking outstanding disciplinary cases, where staff had been suspended for periods of up to one year with the use of agency staff to back fill these roles, to get staff back to work.
• Devised and led the selection process for the successful appointment of a Chief Executive and a Director of Finance.
• Set up and ran a multi-disciplinary project team to implement the necessary actions for the successful removal of a HSE Improvement Notice.
• Developed a tender and renegotiated the contract for Occupational Health services that provided a more consistent service and one that delivered better value for money.
• Set up and led a Strategic Workforce Planning Group to predict future mental health workforce requirements which included participation from the local health community, the strategic health authority and social services.
• Developed and implemented, through consultation with staff representatives, the terms of reference for the joint management and staff consultative forums to put them on a more business like format.

Mercury Health Ltd (November 2003 to July 2004)

Mercury Health Ltd is a new start company that has won contracts to set up and operate treatment centres across England for the National Health Service. Commissioned to work as HR Director (interim) to undertake the following:
• Set up the HR infrastructure for the company in respect of policies, benefits etc.
• Negotiated contracts with recruitment companies for the recruitment and supply of overseas clinical and medical staff for the treatment centres.
• Led on negotiations with the NHS National Implementation Team and sponsor NHS Trusts for the secondment of staff to work in the company’s Treatment Centres.
• Develop a specification for an electronic HRIS for the company.

Buckinghamshire Shared Services (October 2002 to December 2003)

Buckinghamshire Shared Services provides the following services to six health care organisations in mid and south Bucks, which have a combined turnover of over £300 million and employ 8500 staff; Financial, IM&T, Information, HR, Purchasing & Supply and Communications services.
Commissioned to salvage a failing HR service and to develop a business case for the effective provision of HR Shared Services to the health economy in mid and south Buckinghamshire. In addition acted as the locum Head of HR for Buckinghamshire Shared Services whilst undertaking this project.

• Developed a business case for restructuring the HR team to deliver an improved and effective service that meets with the operational needs of six client Trusts.
• Provided leadership, direction and sense of purpose to the HR team refocusing and improving the delivery of services through a shared services entity.
• Modernised the recruitment processes and function for five client Trusts that was implemented in May 2003 with the e-recruitment service from June 2003. The modernised service has received widespread acclaim within the Thames Valley Health Authority area as well as from the five customer trusts.
• Ran a HR shared service function for up to five client organisations, which in total had 10,000 employees and turnover of c£250 million.


Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust (September to November 2002)

• Commissioned by the Trust Chairman to investigate the decision to suspend the Chief Executive as a result of Waiting List management irregularities and report the findings to the Trust Disciplinary Hearing held in November 2002 the decision of which was to dismiss the Chief Executive.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust (February to September 2002)

Commissioned by the Chief Executive to support the out-going and in-coming HR Directors in working with the HR team on specific projects.

• Advised and worked with the Trust’s HR Lead for the Improving Working Lives Initiative, resulting in a successful assessment which will result in the Trust being awarded IWL Practice Standard status.
• Facilitated improved working practices within a fragmented HR team, improving communication and working relationships.
• Reviewed the Trust’s recruitment function and processes and made recommendations for the modernisation of the recruitment function.
•

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (February 2002 to February 2003)

Following the successful interim assignment, commissioned by the new HR & OD Director to handle three major projects: Maternity Disciplinary appeals, HR input into the reconfiguration of Emergency Medical Services and a review of the Trust’s recruitment function and process.

• Maternity disciplinary appeals: Negotiated out the need for appeals in four out of seven cases, saving the Trust considerable costs in management time, additional legal fees and avoiding negative publicity. Dealt with the logistics of holding appeal hearing for the remaining three cases, including the presentation of the management case in one of the appeals.

• Reconfiguration of Emergency Medical Services: Member of the Trust’s Implementation team and Steering Group dealing with all HR aspects in the reconfiguration and delivery of medical services. This is a joint initiative with a local PCT and required collaborative working with the operational managers and HR team from the PCT. The project is on schedule with no HR problems.

• Review of Trust Recruitment Function and Process: Carried out a base line review of throughput and staffing levels, followed by a workshop with service users, HR staff and Recruitment Office staff to review and critique the process. Project group established to devise appropriate solution by December 2002.

• Oncology Department Investigation: Commissioned to undertake an investigation into working relationships of consultants and staff grade doctors in the department. Investigation and report completed in February 2003.

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (September 2001 to February 2002)

Interim HR Director commissioned to take forward the change management agenda in a £250 million turnover NHS Trust and restructure and provide leadership to the human resources function. The HR Directorate included personnel, training and development, occupational health, health and safety and recruitment functions, with a total of 57 staff and a budget of £1.5 million.

• Provided leadership, direction and sense of purpose to the HR team changing a failing culture to one of confidence and success.
• Restructured the Personnel team to deliver an improved and effective HR service that met with the operational agenda of the Trust.
• Improving the service to the Trust from the Occupational Health and Health & Safety functions.
• Assisted the Chief Executive in the reconfiguration of his executive management team.
• Redeveloped the employee relations structures in the Trust to achieve more effective outcomes and improve management /staff relationships.
• Developed an interim HR strategy to address NHS initiatives and Trust operational requirements for the following two years.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency/BAE SYSTEMS Joint Venture Project (May to August 2001)

This commission was to work as an Interim HR Manager on a joint Ministry of Defence and BAE SYSTEMS project team for the setting up of a joint venture company to deal with the supply chain management of repaired aircraft components.

• Developed and implemented the HR strategy.
• Developed a trade union recognition strategy.
• Developed a TUPE due diligence check-list for the parent organisations.
• Developed and ran HR workshops for the joint project team.
• Developed and published HR policies and procedures for the Joint Venture Company (JVC).
• Developed a recruitment and selection strategy and action plan.
• Developed and published Terms and Conditions of Employment for the JVC.
• Developed and published job descriptions for the new posts in the JVC.
• Consulted with the MoD trade unions on the aims and objectives of the project, and the recognition and transfer issues involved.

The Joint Venture Company project was changed to a Public Private Partnership arrangement due to one of the parent organisations not wishing to proceed to full JVC stage and the project was terminated after three months.

Bath & West Community NHS Trust (October 2000 to March 2001)

This assignment was an Interim HR management role working with the Trust’s directors to facilitate the dissolution of the Trust into two new Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). Achievements were:

• The seamless transfer of 600 staff to Mendip PCT.
• Dealt with all TUPE issues concerning the transfer of services into Mendip PCT.
• Represented the Trust at the Somerset Health Authority Steering Group meetings concerned with the transfer of services and staff from NHS trusts to PCTs.
• Presented the management case at a sensitive disciplinary appeal hearing for the Trust.
• Developed a job evaluation scheme to underpin the re-grading of Speech and Language Therapists posts.

This assignment was on a 2-3 days per week basis and was successfully completed with the dissolution of the Bath & West Community NHS Trust on 31 March 2001.

Somerset Health Authority (January to March 2001)

Commissioned to develop 30 Service Level Agreements for clinical and support services between the new Primary Care Trusts in Somerset and two NHS Trusts in Somerset and Avon. This commission was completed on time, within a very tight time frame and to the satisfaction of the client and its customers.

Mendip Primary Care Trust (March to September 2001)

Commissioned by the Chief Executive to provide strategic HR advice and assist with the start up requirements of the new PCT. Activities included the setting up of a staff/management consultative and negotiating forums, negotiating the provision of transactional HR services from a third party organisation, representing the Trust at County-wide consultative meetings and setting up Nurses and AHPs Discretionary Points Schemes. This commission was delivered over 10 (ad-hoc) days during this period.

Portsmouth Healthcare NHS Trust and Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Health Authority (March to April 2001)

Commissioned to be the independent HR advisor on selection panels for staff applying for new posts as a consequence of organisational change around the merger of two health authorities, the creation of two new PCTs and the devolvement
of some services from a NHS Trust to the PCTs. Dealt with 20 new posts in the new health authority and PCTs over a 12 day period.

Two key roles on the Executive Management Teams reporting to the Chief Executive. I brought my HR expertise and industry experience to the NHS, enabling the Health Care Trusts to meet statutory, operational and strategic objectives at a time of major organisational change and human resources challenges.

Director of HR, Wiltshire and Swindon Health Care NHS Trust 1999 to 2000
Annual turnover of £80m with over 3000 staff. Achievements include:

• successfully merging two former Trusts HR functions and their core HR policies;
• reducing HR staffing levels by 25% and costs by 35%;
• negotiating a new trade union recognition agreement to meet business partnership objectives;
• introducing a learning and development culture to increase operational performance and position the Trust for re-recognition as an Investor in People.

Personnel Director, Wiltshire Health Care NHS Trust 1992 to 1999
Annual turnover of £40m with over 1900 staff. The Trust merged in 1999 to form Wiltshire and Swindon Health Care.

Freelance period during which I worked with client organisations successfully right sizing manufacturing plant and reviewing their Human Resources systems and practice.