Meet the Team
The HI NENC team is made up of an Executive, a Core Team who provide central support, and Programme Managers who lead on our Health Improvement and Patient Safety Programmes.
Find out more about the members of our team below.
Hannah Spooner
Project Support Officer
Talk to me about... Project support for the Economic Growth team
Email: [email protected]
Hannah joined HI NENC in September 2023 as a Project Support Officer. Hannah completed her undergraduate Biomedical Sciences (Hons) degree at Northumbria University, before transferring to Newcastle University to earn her MSc in Medical Sciences. Since graduating, Hannah has worked…
Dr Nicola Hutchinson
Chief Executive Officer
Talk to me about... Strategy, National AHSN Network, Stakeholder Engagement
Email: [email protected]
Nicola is our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and has been involved in the organisation since 2012. She was part of the original team that successfully secured funding and accreditation for the AHSN NENC. Originally, being appointed as Innovation Director she…
Professor Julia Newton
Medical Director
Talk to me about... Health Improvement, Patient Safety, Workforce
Email: [email protected]
In 2017 Julia filled the large shoes of Professor Oliver James who previously occupied this position in the AHSN NENC. Julia graduated from Newcastle University Medical School in 1990. Since then she has worked in a range of roles in…
Maria Roche
Chief Operating Officer
Talk to me about... Talk to me about the AHSN strategy, operations, NHSE/I national programmes
Email: [email protected]
Maria is a clinical pharmacist and prescriber by training and has subsequently held a range of senior executive roles, regionally, nationally and internationally, spanning medical and regulatory affairs, quality management, strategic marketing, operations and general management, across the public and…
Russ Watkins
Commercial Director
Talk to me about... Innovation, Economic Growth & NENC Ecosystem
Email: [email protected]
Russ is our Commercial Director who oversees the Economic Growth activity for the Organisation and is enthusiastic about how the North East North Cumbria is recognised for all the fab things it does. The infrastructure in the region to support…
Dave Belshaw
Digital Transformation Director
Talk to me about... Digitally Enabling Systems and Pathways, Remote Monitoring and Digital Inclusion
Email: [email protected]
Dave is a psychiatric nurse by trade and spent a large proportion of his career working in mental health community settings and teams. For the last 20 years or so Dave has worked in a variety of service improvement roles…
Stephanie Walton
Director of Finance
Talk to me about... Finance, Contracts, Payroll
Email: [email protected]
Steph joined the AHSN at an early stage and has been involved in most aspects of its evolution. Steph started her career in the South East of England as an NHS Regional Financial Management Trainee and went on to gain…
Kirstie Taylor
Marketing and Communications Director
Talk to me about... Communications and engagement strategic planning, commercial communications management, programme communications delivery
Email: [email protected]
Having spent over 30 years working in regional, national and international marketing, communications and engagement roles, Kirstie has enjoyed putting these skills to practice at the AHSN NENC since 2013. Working with the incredible Communication Team members, Kirstie’s time at…
Claire Adams
Programme Manager
Talk to me about... All things respiratory related
Email: [email protected]
Claire Adams is an experienced nurse with a real passion for improving the care of people with respiratory disease. Over the 25 years of her nursing career, she has worked in the NHS, in the private sector and as a…
Anna Bassett
Project Manager
Talk to me about... Innovation Pathway, Eco System
Email: [email protected]
Anna joined the AHSN NENC in August 2022 after helping to implement the stock ordering service for wards and departments at South Tees NHS Trust. Before this, she completed a BSc in Chemistry at Teesside University, but had always found…
Sarah Black
Marketing and Communications Manager (Events)
Talk to me about... Events/exhibitions, awards, conferences
Email: [email protected]
Working within the Marketing and Communications team at AHSN NENC Sarah’s focus is on event management. Sarah manages the whole process from the planning stage, right through to running the actual day itself and ensures our events run smoothly and…
Chloe Blewitt
Project Manager
Talk to me about... MedTech Funding Mandate
Email: [email protected]
Chloe is a Project Manager within the Economic Growth team leading on the MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM). Prior to working at Health Innovation NENC, she spent 5 years at Newcastle University working as a Project Assistant and Assistant Research Project…
Ruth Boston
Marketing and Communications Manager
Talk to me about... Social Media, PR
Email: [email protected]
Ruth works with the AHSN NENC Communications team to deliver social media campaigns promoting a wide range of programmes, projects and events. She also provides public relations advice and support to the team. Ruth has worked in the media industry…
Kathryn Brennan
Marketing and Communications Manager
Talk to me about... Communications, digital transformation, north east and north cumbria digital stakeholders
Email: [email protected]
Kathryn has worked in a range of national and regional digital transformation programmes providing specialised communications support. Nationally this has included NHSmail, HSCN and NHS Spine transitions. Regionally she worked on the Great North Care Record, Health Call and now…
Liz Brown
Programme Manager
Talk to me about... Health Improvement Programmes, Workforce Innovation Programmes
Email: [email protected]
Liz joined the AHSN NENC in November 2018 and has led on several Health Improvement Programmes across different areas, including Medicines Optimisation, Adoption and Spread and Patient Safety across the region, to address specific health and service improvement issues. One…