Board of Directors

Martin Barkley

Chair

Martin was appointed Chair of the Trust in November 2023.

Martin started his career in the NHS as a trainee hospital administrator. In 1983, he commissioned and opened East Surrey Hospital and, in 1986, moved into general management with responsibility for the East Surrey Learning Disability and the mental health services, transforming the services from being institutional-based to community-based, leading the unit to become an NHS Trust in 1994, when he became its Chief Executive. He subsequently went on to serve four more Trusts (Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust, Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust, Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, and Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust) as Chief Executive, up to his retirement in 2021. His career is characterised by leading service modernisation, quality improvement, and organisational development. Since his retirement, Martin has undertaken voluntary work for the charity Zarach, supports Yorkshire Cancer Research, and is a Governor of Leeds Beckett University.

Declaration of interests

• Trustee of Zarach
• Trustee of Yorkshire Cancer Research
• Governor of Leeds Beckett University

Simon Morritt

Chief Executive

Simon is the Chief Executive of the Trust - a role he started in August 2019.

Simon joined the Trust from Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he has been Chief Executive since 2016.

He has more than 25 years’ experience in the NHS, which he joined in September 1989 as a general management trainee in Greater Manchester. 

After roles across Yorkshire he went on to be successful in number of senior positions.  His first Chief Executive post was for the Doncaster Central Primary Care Trust in October 2000 and he was appointed Chief Executive of the former Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (now NHS Bradford and Airedale) in October 2006.  Following his time in commissioning organisations he became Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Declaration of interests

• Chair, Humber and North Yorkshire Collaboration of Acute Providers
• Trustee - MediCinema (a charity that supports cinemas in hospitals)

Andrew Bertram

Finance Director

Andrew was appointed as finance director in January 2009. 

As finance director, Andrew is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership and advice.  Andrew has a key role to play to ensure effective professional input to the definition and development of the Trust’s overall strategic vision and direction and the day-to-day managerial decision making process.  He advises the Board and chief executive on matters of financial governance and probity and ensures the highest standards of financial governance and management in line with best practice.

Andrew joined the NHS in 1991 as a finance trainee at York as part of the NHS graduate management training scheme.  Upon qualifying as an accountant, he undertook a number of financial roles supporting many of the Trust's clinical teams and later became directorate manager for medicine for a short time.

Andrew left the Trust in 2005 to take up the role of deputy finance director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.  He subsequently returned to the Trust in 2009 as finance director.

Declaration of interests

• Co-opted Trustee, St Leonard’s Hospice

Dr Karen Stone

Medical Director

Karen was appointed as Medical Director for the Trust in November 2022.

As Medical Director Karen is responsible for the appointment, development and professional leadership of medical and dental staff.  Karen acts as the Responsible Officer for the Trust and is responsible for medical leadership including professional standards, appraisal and revalidation and appointments.  She also has responsibility for medical education, patient safety, clinical audit, medication safety, clinical risk and medico-legal matters.

Karen graduated from Birmingham University with a medical degree in 1990. She then worked in posts in paediatrics in Birmingham, London and Yorkshire. She was appointed to a consultant paediatric post with an interest in emergency paediatrics at Pontefract General Infirmary in 2001 after obtaining her Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training. Her career at Pontefract, which became part of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, saw her develop into an accomplished medical leader. In 2014 Karen became the Medical Director, a post that she has left to join York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Karen comes to us with a wealth of experience in medical leadership, quality improvement, patient safety, clinical reconfiguration and is passionate about multi professional education.

Declaration of interests
Nil

Dawn Parkes

Chief Nurse

Dawn joined the Trust as Interim Chief Nurse in July 2023.  

Dawn is the former Director of Nursing and Quality at Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust and has held this board position since June 2022. She has previously been the Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality a role which she held between 2015 and 2022, and several other senior leadership roles across West Yorkshire.

An experienced nurse and service leader, she started her career as a registered adult nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust before moving into clinical strategic leadership and transformational work.

Dawn is passionate about the quality of services patients receive and the impact that well led and motivated staff have on the compassion and care we give to our patients and communities. Dawn's key focus is to further develop a culture across organisation’s that sets patient safety at the heart of what everyone does by engaging colleagues to be the very best that they can be.

Declaration of interests
Nil

Claire Hansen

Chief Operating Officer

Claire was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for the Trust in July 2023.

As Chief Operating Officer, Claire is responsible for the leadership and delivery of the Trust’s operational services and is the lead executive director for Strategic Planning. 

Claire began her career in the Strategic Health Authority undertaking statistical analysis before moving to Clinical Audit in secondary care.  Her career was in Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust where she worked for over 20 years across many of the specialities spanning hospital and community services, culminating as Deputy Chief Operating Officer.  For the two years prior to joining York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust Claire was Programme Director for the Humber Acute Services Review which developed a pre-consultation business case for services across Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust and the 4 Places of North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, Hull and East Riding.  Claire has also been involved in workforce design with the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and wider system and is a qualified 360 Facilitator.

She brings with her experience as a leader in both system working, operational delivery and strategic planning, and is passionate about ensuring patients and staff are at the heart of sustainable service design.

Declaration of interests
Nil

Polly McMeekin

Director of Workforce and Organisational Development

Polly became Director of Workforce and Organisational Development in February 2019.

She joined the Trust in September 2015 as Deputy Director of Workforce reporting into the Chief Executive.  Her portfolio includes Human Resources, Organisational Development, Workforce Development, Occupational Health, Research and Equality and Diversity.

After graduating from Durham University in 2000, Polly began her career in Financial Services.  In 2002 she joined the NHS working for Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she trained in Human Resource Management.  Polly joined Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust in 2009 and progressed to Deputy Director of Workforce and Organisational Development before she left in 2015.

Polly is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.

Declaration of interests
Nil

James Hawkins

Chief Digital and Information Officer

As Chief Digital and Information Officer James leads digital transformation of the Trust integrating with the Humber and North Yorkshire ICS.

He is responsible for the delivery of the strategic digital capabilities required to underpin new models of care provided across the Trust and the integrated care system.

James is also responsible for the delivery and maintenance of our digital infrastructure and providing assurance to both Trust and ICS board in this regard, which includes assurances around cyber security, service continuity and information governance.

James joined the Trust from NHS Digital where he had several different roles on the executive team and was central to the delivery of many of the national NHS IT systems and services and commercial frameworks, such as the NHS App, NHS.UK, NHS 111, NHS Summary Care Records and the GP IT Commercial Framework to name a few.

Declaration of interests

• Member - Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

Lucy Brown

Director of Communications

Lucy was appointed as Director of Communications in February 2020.  

Lucy joined the Trust in July 2008 as Communications Service Manager, establishing the Trust’s first in-house communications function.  She was appointed Head of Communications in 2011 and latterly Acting Director of Communications in June 2018, reporting to the chief executive.

Lucy’s portfolio includes media relations and PR, internal communications, stakeholder engagement and charity fundraising.

After graduating from The University of Sheffield in 2002, Lucy joined the press office at Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (now Yorkshire Ambulance Service).  She joined NHS Employers in 2005, holding a number of communications roles before becoming Senior Communications Manager.

Declaration of interests

• Trustee, Friends of Rowntree Park

Jenny McAleese

Non-Executive Director

Jenny was appointed as a non-executive director in 2017.

Jenny is a qualified chartered accountant and brings over 30 years’ experience gained of the private, public and charitable sectors.  From 1997 until her retirement in October 2016 she was chief executive at The Retreat psychiatric hospital in York.  She also has extensive non-executive experience.

Declaration of interests

• Independent Member of Audit Committee, York St John University

Lorraine Boyd

Non-Executive Director

Lorraine was appointed as a non-executive director of the Trust in 2018.

Lorraine is a GP and brings 30 years’ of experience of direct patient care.

In recent years Lorraine has been involved as GP representative within NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and The Humber, Coast and Vale Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.  She is the founder directory of City and Vale GP Alliance and she has supported the development of collaborative working between the Trust and primary care.

Declaration of interests

• Trustee - Friends of St Monica

Jim Dillon

Non-Executive Director

Jim was Chief Executive at Scarborough Borough Council from April 2006 until he retired recently, before that Jim was a Director at Ipswich Borough Council.

Jim has a strong passion for the Scarborough area and wishes to continue contributing to improving the quality of life of the community through being a director of the Trust and having been involved at a strategic level of health and wellbeing agenda at both local and regional levels for many years.

Declaration of interests

• Interim Director - Business and Skills for the South Yorks Mayoral Combines Authority

Steven Holmberg

Non-Executive Director

Steve has been a consultant cardiologist in the NHS with more than 25 years' experience in direct patient care.

He brings extensive experience as a previous Trust Board executive and also senior roles in other NHS organisations and the charitable sector.  Steve has a strong interest in education in health care and also the development of safety and quality in patient care.

Declaration of interests
Nil

Lynne Mellor

Non-Executive Director

Lynne was appointed as a non-executive director in 2018.

Lynne brings over 26 years’ of experience in the public and private sector, having held a wide-range of leadership positions with a particular focus in the network and IT sector.

Declaration of interests

• Co-owner/Director, The Human Digital Collaborative Ltd

• Linked Co-owner who has an additional company, AHLC Solutions Ltd

• UNICEF Baby Feeding Institute Guardian for YTHFT

Matt Morgan

Non-Executive Director

Professor Matthew Morgan was appointed Stakeholder non-executive director in June 2020.

Matt is Deputy Dean and Professor of Renal Medicine and Medical Education at Hull York Medical School. As Deputy Dean he supports the Dean in the strategic development and delivery of the Medical School.

Matt has wide experience in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical and allied health profession education and is a Fellow of both the Higher Education Academy and the Royal College of Physicians. He has also been active in promoting diversity and inclusion in healthcare and healthcare education. He continues to practise as a consultant in renal medicine in the NHS.

Declaration of interests

• Board Member (Director) of York Medical Society
• Deputy Dean of Hull York Medical School
• Honorary Consultant at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Helen Grantham

Associate Non-Executive Director

Helen is a solicitor and spent her executive career in the private sector as General Counsel and Group Secretary of large, complex listed companies and latterly at the Co-op Group. The majority of her career was spent in consumer-facing organisations going through periods of significant change and having executive responsibility for legal, compliance, governance, risk, audit and corporate affairs functions. Her roles also involved extensive stakeholder engagement.

Since stepping away from her executive career she has concentrated on non-executive roles with a focus on education, community, well-being and the natural environment. She has a strong commitment to supporting diverse and inclusive organisations.

She is a Council member at the University of Leeds, where she chairs their remuneration committee. She also chairs the Yorkshire and North-East Advisory Board at the Canal and River Trust which provides green and blue spaces in communities across the region.

Declaration of interests

• Lay Member of Council, University of Leeds
• Chair of the Yorkshire and North East Advisory Board at the Canal and River Trust Director/Trustee

Julie Charge

Non-Executive Director and Chair of YTHFM

Julie Charge has worked at the University of Salford since 2014, originally as the Executive Director of Finance, but has most recently taken up the role of Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer.

Julie oversees the professional services of the University, including Finance, Strategy, Estates, Digital IT, Student services and Marketing.

Julie qualified as an accountant in 1995, completing her Master’s in Business Administration in 2009. she has over 30 years of experience working in Finance. She’s worked in a variety of Public and Private sectors including Health, Manufacturing and Higher Education.

Declarations of interests

• Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, University of Salford
• Non-Executive Director, UM Association Limited
• Non-Executive Director, UM Association (Special Risks) Limited
• Non-Executive Director, Hasilwood Management Services Limited
• Trustee, The STAR Multi Academy
• Trust Trustee and Treasurer, Friends of Saxton School Charity