Trustee Board
Professor Alison Machin
Chair
Alison is Chair of the Council of Deans of Health. She is a Professor of Nursing and Interprofessional Education and Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne. She is also a Principal Fellow of the HEA. Previous posts include Dean of the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University and Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor at Northumbria University.
She has also been the strategic lead for a high profile, international nurse education collaborative venture in Malta in partnership with Malta College of Arts Science and Technology. Alison has worked in higher education since 1999, she is an active researcher, an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner. She is a registered nurse and health visitor. Her research interests include: interprofessional education; nursing and healthcare collaborative workforce development; professional identity; health visiting; and public health; using qualitative methodologies including grounded theory.
Dr Norma Barry
Vice Chair
Dr Norma Barry has significant experience of chairing and serving on governance boards within the public and third sectors. She is currently Chair of the Governance and Audit Committee of Pembrokeshire County Council and a member of the Governance and Audit Committee of Newport County Borough Council. Norma also serves as a member of North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner’s and North Wales’s Police’s Joint Audit Committee.
Previous appointments include membership of the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Wales Industry Board and the Food Standard Agency’s Welsh Advisory Committee. Norma also served as chair of a housing association in one of the most deprived areas of the UK for six years, where she worked tirelessly with the team to ensure that the organisation had sound and robust governance and strategic frameworks in place. She has also served as a panel member for Social Care Wales and as a member of Welsh Water.
Norma has run her own business consultancy, InsideOut: Organisational Solutions, for around 16 years. The company undertakes research and project evaluation as well as developing strategic and business plans and providing HR advice to a range of bodies, primarily in the charity, public and social business sectors.
Norma was previously a Senior Civil Servant in Welsh Government, where she worked in economic, social, and agricultural policy areas. She has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Management, and a Masters in Business Administration degree, and is a trained project manager, executive coach and facilitator.
Sam Armstrong
Sam Armstrong has worked at Board Level as a Company Secretary in the NHS for the past 16 years. He is currently the Company Secretary at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He was Director of Corporate Affairs at Kingston Hospital and worked to establish a committee in common structure in preparation of merging with Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust. He has worked at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He has particular interest in corporate governance and risk management.
Before moving to the UK, Sam was the Head of Aquinas College at the University of Adelaide. At the University of Melbourne, he was Dean of St Mary’s College before becoming Vice Manster of Ormond College. His academic qualifications include undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in psychology and an MBA from the University of Melbourne’s Business School.
Alison Carr
Alison Carr is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and has a wide experience of working within professional bodies and regulators. Most recently, she was a Director of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and is currently a member of the Veterinary Nurses Council and Chair of the Regulatory Committee of the Institute of Financial Accountants. She was previously Registrar and Chief Executive of the Architects Registration Board and has also worked with actuaries, insolvency practitioners, chartered accountants, healthcare managers, insurance brokers and financial advisers.
Alison’s work has centred on building public confidence in professionals and her wide-ranging roles have included working to improve diversity within professions and the development of standards, policy, and strategy across both large and small organisations. She has developed new approaches to regulation and support for members and worked to enhance co-operation amongst regulators, professional bodies, and stakeholders, both in the UK and across Europe.
Professor Carol Curran
Professor Carol Curran is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences at Ulster University. She is the Chair of the Council’s Nominations and Remuneration Committee. Carol has worked at Ulster University since 1996 and has held a number of posts including Head of the School of Nursing, Chief Executive Officer of Ulster University Health Limited and since 2011, had been Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences. Carol is widely recognised as a nurse leader, regularly delivering key-note addresses at prestigious conferences worldwide. She has been a visiting scholar at Kent State University, Ohio and is currently visiting professor at Qiqihar Medical University China.
Carol currently holds a Ministerial appointment as Chair of the Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nurses and Midwives. In 2014 Carol was recognised in the Queen’s Honours, receiving an OBE for services to Education and Nursing in Northern Ireland. Carol is a registered nurse and holds specialist qualifications in District Nursing and Education. She has a BSc, MSc and PhD all from Ulster University, along with a Diploma in Nursing from the University of London.
Professor Marc Griffiths
Professor Marc Griffiths is the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. Marc is a HCPC registered Diagnostic Radiographer with twenty-five years of clinical and academic experience and has a research track record in nuclear medicine, hybrid imaging, workforce development, mentorship, leadership, and advanced practice. Marc is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Leadership Foundation, a Fellow of the College of Radiographers, a member of the Approval and Accreditation Board at the Society and College of Radiographers and a Fitness to Practice Partner at the Health and Care Professions Council. Marc is also currently an appointed Governor at the City of Bristol College focusing of educational pathways and quality and business metrics. Marc works extensively with Health Education England and is also involved in the local Academic Health Science Centre in Bristol. His professional background has involved working in clinical, commercial, and academic environments and he has a particular focus on the impact of emerging health technologies on the patient experience. Marc’s previous positions include Head of Department for Allied Health Professions at UWE, Bristol and working closely with external stakeholders on the development of new professional educational pathways, namely in Paramedic Science, Physician Associates, Radiotherapy and Oncology and Optometry.
Professor Paula Holt MBE DL
Paula is an adult and mental health nurse who has worked extensively in the NHS, the Armed Forces and criminal justice system. She enjoyed a 19-year career in Higher Education, leaving the sector as a Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean, and also served many years as Regulation lead for the Council of Deans of Health.
Paula currently works for the NMC as a Senior Nursing Adviser. She has multiple exec and non-exec charitable roles to support veterans and the armed forces community and is proud to be a patient voice within her regional care system. Paula has been leading the simulated practice learning work for the NMC over the past two and a half years, recently publishing an evaluation that will contribute to the NMCs practice learning review.
Mohammed Jakhara
Dr Mohammed Jakhara is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Society and Professional Studies at Birmingham Newman University. The Faculty includes the School of Arts, Humanities and Human Sciences, The School of Business and Law and the School of Nursing and Allied Health.
Mohammed is a qualified and registered Social Worker. Before joining Birmingham Newman University in 2019 Mohammed was the Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Derby. Mohammed’s other roles in Higher Education have included being the Head of School for Social Work, Allied and Public Health, Head of Subject for Social and Community Studies and a Senior Lecturer. Before moving into academia Mohammed worked for a Local Authority initially as a Social Worker, then as the Service Manager for Adoption before being promoted to the role of Senior Project Manager for Children’s Services.
Mohammed is an active researcher with a focus on the adoption of children in England. His other areas of research include children and young people’s experience of the care system, using a social pedagogical approach to improve outcomes for children in care and involving service users and carers in the design and delivery of education programmes.
Mohammed has a significant amount of experience of working internationally including working with partners across Europe. He has also worked with education providers in North America, the Middle East, Malaysia and China.
Mohammed maintains links with practice through his work with Fostering and Adoption Panels.
Raluca Oaten
Raluca Oaten is a Council of Deans of Health #150Leader currently working in policy and influence alongside her role in critical care nursing. With a Master’s degree in Adult Nursing from Oxford Brookes University, graduating with distinction, Raluca integrates her frontline experience as an Intensive Care Clinical Nurse and educator with a strong commitment to evidence-based practice. In her policy and influencing role, she leads on synthesizing research, analysing healthcare policies, and overseeing national and international research initiatives to inform policy change. She collaborates with stakeholders to drive impactful decisions that enhance both healthcare education and practice.
As a Trustee for the Council of Deans of Health, Raluca contributes her expertise in governance, risk management, policy development, and strategic planning. She plays an active role in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including anti-racism working groups. In addition to her work with the Council, Raluca serves as Vice President of the Phi Mu Chapter of Sigma, an international nursing leadership organization, where she advances leadership development for nurses globally. Her strategic, research-driven approach ensures that the Council remains responsive to the evolving needs of students, educators, and the healthcare sector, fostering the development of future healthcare leaders.
Satbinder Sanghera
Satbinder worked in local government for 24 years in a variety of governance, operational and strategic roles and has since 2013 been working in the NHS in commissioning and provider trusts with a particular focus on governance, planning, partnerships and strategy. He has previously been a non executive member of Citizens Advice Bureau and been Chair of a secondary school Finance Committee.
Angela Shimada
Angela Shimada is a speech and language therapist who is working as the Chief Allied Health Professional(AHP) at Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board. She has a clinical background in neurological conditions and dysphagia, particularly stroke. With a background working in NHS provider organisations and more latterly in an ICB, alongside a Trustee role at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Angela brings with her a wealth of experience in AHPs, governance and multi-professional strategy.
Professor Debra Towse
Professor Debra Towse is currently employed as Senior Expert Advisor for two international research projects within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), after stepping back from her prior Executive level role as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Medical Education Development) and Dean of Faculty in November 2021. During this 12-year tenure, she successfully led and negotiated the multiple challenges to the delivery of healthcare higher education and was instrumental in the development of the portfolio, its partnerships, and governance.
Debra’s previous clinical background as an Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner provided opportunities within the UK and Internationally, to develop skills in collaboration, which enabled public and patient safety to be promoted through invited contributions as an advisor or expert in Fora, Groups, and Panels relating to neonatal care (e,g: Royal College of Nursing – Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Forum, and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) and provided opportunities for the later delivery of bespoke education projects.
Debra has a thorough grounding in governance having experience at both sides of this interface. Her university strategic responsibilities required her to provide assurance to a Board (Governing Body), whilst her NHS Governor roles helped develop skills in ‘seeking’ assurance from the Executive. This background provided a step into her lead role in the Council of Deans for Health Governance Review (2018-2021), which culminated in the creation of the Council as a Company Limited by Guarantee, and a Charity. Debra was appointed firstly to the Transitional Board and subsequently as a Trustee.
Rob Waterson
Rob Waterson joined the University of East London in February 2020 and is currently the Executive Dean of the School of Health, Sport & Bioscience. He joined UEL from the London regional team of Health Education England where he was the Nursing and Midwifery Programme Manager. In this role, he oversaw the development of the nursing associate role within education establishments, NHS organisations and Primary and Social Care organisations.
Rob has a wealth of experience in vocational learning having previously been the Senior Lecturer: Business manager and lead for apprentices at the Institute of Vocational Learning at LSBU. Rob has been involved in the development of the nursing associate programme since its inception in 2016 and has an interest in clinical workforce transformation and redesign.
He has been involved with leading the innovation and redesign of a simulated Hospital and Primary Care Training Hub, training students for the future of healthcare. He was a 2022/23 Florence Nightingale Scholar.
Co-optee
Thanaporn ‘Dao’ Tunprasert
Dao Tunprasert is a Principal Lecturer and an Associate Subject Lead in Health and Rehabilitation at the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton. The subject area covers Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Podiatry. Dao is an HCPC registered Podiatrist with a specialist interest in musculoskeletal podiatry, having qualified in 2013. She is also an alumna of the Council of Deans of Health’s fellowship programme and a member of the Academic and Quality Assurance Committee at the Royal College of Podiatry.
Dao’s work has focused on innovations in healthcare education and placements to improve student experiences and workforce sustainability. In addition to education-related work, her other research interests are in footwear, musculoskeletal health, and development and validation of measurement tools. Dao is dedicated to supporting the next generation of health professionals and volunteers her time to mentor students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds (Identity Match programme) and the Council’s Student Leadership Programme.
Our annual report
The Council’s statutory annual report and financial statements covers the previous academic year and provides an overview of our activity and achievements.