I initially completed a Law degree (Durham) and qualified as a Solicitor working in commercial property for an international law firm. However, my family has a strong background in the NHS (lots of nurses over many generations) and I refocused my career toward healthcare.

I worked with PHSO as a complaint assessor and investigator and was involved in key changes to the PHSO complaint triage process and complaint form. This gave me exposure to complex, often highly emotive, complaints about the NHS in England. I wanted to do more at the 'front line' so moved on to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to be a Patient Experience Manager; looking after a range of complaints and patient experience matters within specific care groups. From there, I moved on to the CQC; first as an inspector and then as an inspection manager in the acute hospitals directorate. However, once an opportunity arose at HSIB I couldn't pass up the chance of being involved in this unique and innovative approach to patient safety.

Since my move into healthcare I have had a passion and desire to improve the quality and safety of NHS services for members of the public and staff. Be it from making recommendations from complaints, engaging with patients and staff to seek feedback, enforcing and inspecting based on regulation, or now applying safety science to make system improvements. I have always sought to supplement my desire with knowledge, so have also completed PGCerts in Ombudsman Studies (QME), Healthcare Leadership (OU and Mary Seacole via NHS Leadership Academy), MSc Senior Healthcare Leadership (Birmingham/Manchester University and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson via NHS Leadership Academy), and I am shortly to begin an MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors (Edinburgh).

I look forward to the opportunity to engage with a wide range of Q colleagues to share ideas, knowledge, and insight to help make the NHS a better and safery service for patients and staff.