Four new regional Heads of Nursing and Midwifery have officially been appointed by Health Education England (HEE), covering the Midlands, South West, London and North East and Yorkshire regions.
Each role will work closely with HEE’s Chief Nurse, Mark Radford, and will play a key role in the development of nursing and midwifery policy across priority areas and work to support the Government ambition to recruit 50,000 nurses.
The four new appointees are:
- Carol Love-Mecrow, who will head up the nursing and midwifery team in the Midlands
- Christian Brailsford, who will lead the nursing and midwifery team in the South West
- Professor Laura Serrant, who will lead the nursing and midwifery team in the North East and Yorkshire
- Nichole McIntosh, who will head up the nursing and midwifery team in London
Dr Navina Evans, Chief Executive, Health Education England said: “This is fantastic news, I am particularly pleased that our aim to encourage more BAME candidates to apply for senior roles at HEE is paying off with three out of four successful candidates coming from a BAME background.
“I am committed to making HEE the best place to work and making it more inclusive so this is a great step forward in helping to achieve that aim.
“They all bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise and I look forward to working with them to help HEE take forward this priority area of work. “
Professor Mark Radford, Chief Nurse, Health Education England said: “I am delighted to welcome four very talented and experienced nurse leaders who will strengthen my senior management team and nursing leadership nationally.
“They will join at a crucial time for the nursing profession as HEE works hard to support the delivery of the Government’s nurse expansion ambition and our key programmes of work such as our nursing associate programme, return to practice schemes and work to highlight the attractiveness and flexibility of nursing and midwifery careers that will in turn deliver safe and effective care to patients.”
Professor Laura Serrant will join HEE from her current role as Head of Nursing and Professor of Community and Public Health Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Christian Brailsford has over 15 years of experience working in organ and tissue donation with NHS Blood and Transplant before having recently returned to critical care and the acute sector with Sherwood Forest Hospitals.
Carol Love-Mecrow joined the NHS back in 1986 and since 1999 has worked her way up through the ranks at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, holding a number of roles including most recently finally Deputy Chief Nurse.
Nichole McIntosh has a wealth of experience and proven track record of leading and delivering change in a diverse range of specialties. She has held many key senior positions including assistant director of nursing, head of nursing, matron, senior nurse and clinical manager for older people and stroke services, frailty and cognitive impairment.
