Our people

Kathryn Riddle Chairman

Kathryn was chair of South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority before joining NHS Yorkshire and the Humber in 2006.  Kathryn is a magistrate on the Sheffield bench, a past High Sheriff of South Yorkshire and a deputy lieutenant of South Yorkshire. She has a long association with health, having been chairman of Community Health Sheffield and Sheffield Health Authority.

Kathryn was chair of the SHA’s remuneration and terms of service committee and was the non-executive representative on the delivering healthy ambitions maternity and newborn pathway leadership board.

Kathryn is pro-chancellor and chairman of Council at the University of Sheffield and honorary colonel for Sheffield OTC.

Sir Peter Carr Vice chairman

Sir Peter was chairman of North East Strategic Health Authority.  He has been involved with NHS organisations since 1990 and was chairman of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority from 2002, until it merged with County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority on 1 July 2006.  From 1990 to 1994 he was chairman of the former Northern Regional Health Authority.    

Before becoming involved with the NHS, Sir Peter had a distinguished career in the diplomatic service, based in Washington DC, which followed senior national positions with Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) and the Commission on Industrial Relations.

He also chaired the national occupational pensions board taking it through a period of reform following the Robert Maxwell affair.   Sir Peter retired from the civil service as regional director of the Department of Employment and leader of the city action team which coordinated the activity of government departments in the northern region.

Sally Cheshire Vice chairman

Sally was appointed chair of NHS North West in February 2011. 

Following a degree in european studies and spells teaching in France and visiting the former East Germany, Sally opted for a business career.  She qualified as a management accountant at Proctor & Gamble and worked in roles as divergent as the factory finance manager or UK cleaning product and manager of the UK's profit forecast division, working directly for the UK finance director.  She went to GEC Marconi Materials Technology as an accountant and in 1994 joined Deloitte as a management consultant working across the UK, Europe and the US mainly in manufacturing.

Sally is chair and trustee of her local branch of the Samaritans.  She has also been appointed a non-executive member of the Humam Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Professor Peter Fidler Non-executive director

Professor Fidler is vice-chancellor and chief executive of the University of Sunderland.  Since 2002 until the formation of the North East Strategic Health Authority, he was a non-executive director of the former Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority.  Professor Fidler is chair of the National Glass Centre at Sunderland and a non-executive director of Sunderland ARC Regeneration Company and Codeworks, the North East regional centre of excellence for digital media and technology.

Alan Foster Non-executive director

Alan was appointed as audit chair of NHS North West in March 2011 having joined the strategic health authority in July 2006. He retired in 2004 after spending almost 40 years in industry, including 15 years as managing director of MEL Chemicals, a company making Zirconium products. He also sat on the executive board of its parent company.

Previously, Alan worked for the National Coal Board, IBM, Tube Investments, British Aluminium and Alcan, following his studies at Oxford University and the Cranfield School of Management.

Alan is a business mentor for the Prince’s Trust, helping young people to set up their own businesses.

Sarah Harkness Non-executive director

Sarah was appointed as a non-executive director of Yorkshire and the Humber Stategic Health Authority in December 2007.

Sarah’s background is in corporate finance, having spent nearly 15 years in a city merchant bank and four years leading the andersen corporate advisory team in Yorkshire and the North East.  Sarah spent four years as a main board director of a specialist executive recruitment firm, and has also served on a variety of not-for-profit boards including The Sheffield Theatres Trust and Eureka! the museum for children, in Halifax. She was previously a non-executive director of Rotherham Priority NHS Trust and is a member of the University of Sheffield Council and audit committee.

Sarah was chair of the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority’s independent investigations committee (a standing committee of the SHA board), sat on the provider development board and was the non-executive representative on the delivering healthy ambitions children’s service pathway leadership board and the staying healthy pathway delivery board.

Professor Oliver James Non-executive director

Professor James has a long career in medicine and education. He was pro-vice chancellor of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University from 2004 to 2008, and has previously acted as senior vice president of the Royal College of Physicians, amongst other high profile posts.

Professor James is currently a senior fellow at Newcastle University, where he is carrying out research on epidemiology and liver disease, as well as on the quality of health and life among 85-year-olds in Tyneside. He is chair of the Sir James Knott Trust, one of the largest charities in the north east, which aims to improve the conditions of people living and working in the region.

Denis Lidstone Non-executive director

Denis started his career as an apprentice electrical fitter at Devonport dockyard and went on to work at all levels in the ship building and air defence industries, from the shop floor to chairing board meetings.

In a career focussed on programme management he was involved in rationalising the 190-acre Vickers shipyard site in Barrow. Later he became partnering director of BAE Systems, where he stayed until his retirement in 2005.

Since then he has been working as a business consultant, particularly as an accredited reviewer for the government on projects at key stages in their progress.

Ian Walker Non-executive director

Ian is the managing director of Rotary Electrical Services and chairman of Rotary Engineering UK.  As well as this he is involved in a number of local community activities, including trustee of the Sheffield Burgesses Trust. Ian is also chairman of Ashdell School, and of Japan Christian Link (a missionary society). In addition, Ian is the regional co-ordinator for the Alpha course. 

Ian was chair of Yorkshire and the Humber SHA’s audit committee and was the non-executive representative on the delivering healthy ambitions long term conditions pathway leadership board.

Ian Dalton CBE Chief executive

Ian joins the cluster team from NHS North East where he was chief executive since August 2007.  During this time he was assigned to the Department of Health as national director of NHS Flu Resilience (2009 – 10) and as managing director of provider development (2010 – 11). 

He was previously chief executive at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust and before that at North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust – a post which he took up following his tenure as regional director of performance management for Northern and Yorkshire. 

Ian’s early career included working for MENCAP and two local authority social services departments prior to joining the former Northern Regional Health Authority in 1991 as his first post within the NHS.

Richard Barker Chief operating officer

Richard joins the cluster team from NHS North East where he was the director of commissioning development.  He was one of the ten regional development commissioners appointed to lead the NHS through the transition phase.

His previous roles also included chief operating officer for NHS South of Tyne and Wear.  This followed ten years as an executive director within Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals. He commenced NHS management in 1984 and his previous career has included senior roles with a regional health authority, district health authority and in hospital management.

Jane Cummings Director of nursing

Jane joins the cluster team from NHS North West where she was chief nurse and deputy chief executive. Jane began her career as a nurse specialising in emergency care before moving into general management.  Jane was the nursing advisor for emergency care in chief nursing officer’s office before becoming the national lead for emergency care in February 2004.  In January 2005, Jane was appointed as the national implementation director for choice and choose and book, another key priority for the Department of Health.

Jane is also the national lead for the energise for excellence programme, which provides a coherent framework to motivate nursing staff to improve quality and reduce costs.

She is also the SRO for the clinical leader’s network in the north west and a member of the national steering group.

Mark Ogden Director of finance

Mark joins the cluster team from NHS North West where he was the interim chief executive. Prior to this appointment Mark was the director of finance, capital and economic reform. Before this, he had been director of finance capital investment and information management and technology for Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority.

He began his career in local government, spending five years at Salford City Council in the social services and recreation departments. It was there that he qualified as an accountant before becoming a management consultant with Coopers Lybrand. 

He worked for the north west outpost of the NHS Executive for 18 months before becoming finance director for Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust from 1993 to 1998 and then at Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust.

Professor Stephen Singleton Medical director

Professor Stephen Singleton joins the cluster team from NHS North East where he was the medical director, director of performance and chief knowledge officer.

As a former rural GP and director of public Health in Northumberland Stephen has been medical director of NHS North East since its inception, previously being in the post for the former Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority.  Stephen has a long term interest in knowledge management and until very recently was vice chair of the NHS Evidence Advisory Board (NICE).

He is a visiting professor of applied epidemiology in the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University and has research interests in quality, safety, medical education and informatics.

Tim Gilpin Director of workforce and education

Tim joins the cluster team from NHS Yorkshire and the Humber where he was the director of human resources. Tim has over 25 years experience of human resource management within the NHS. He has been a director of human resources in a variety of NHS organisations including mental health, community and acute services.

His last post was a director of human resources at Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority and prior to this he was director of human resources at Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust for five years.

Professor Paul Johnstone Cluster director of public health

Paul joins the cluster team from NHS Yorkshire & the Humber where he was the director of public health since 2002. Since joining the NHS in 1983, Paul has worked as a hospital doctor, GP and as a manager. He has worked in a number of developing countries with experience in refugee camps convincing him of a need for a managed approach to public health. In 1993 he trained in public health at Oxford and London, and worked for the Cochrane Collaboration and Oxford University as honorary senior lecturer.  In 1999 Paul became executive director of public health and medical director in Teesside before moving to Yorkshire and Humber.

Dr Graham Evans Chief information officer / Director of informatics

Lives in Bishopton, County Durham and is chief information officer (CIO) / director of informatics for the North East Strategic Health Authority.  Graham also acts as CIO lead on several national workstreams including; change and benefits and informatics communications.

Previously, Graham was director of human resources and information with North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.  In 2004, he commenced his NHS career as director of information management and technology within the trust, having previously worked in the private sector.

Graham is a chartered engineer by profession, holds an honours degree in information technology, a masters degree in organisational change and management development and a professional doctorate.  Graham holds both fellowship and member status of various engineering, technology and management institutions.

Claire Riley Director of communications

Lives in Chester-le-Street and is director of communications for the North East Strategic Health Authority. Claire manages all communications, marketing, engagement and stakeholder activity for the organisation. She works closely with local health organisations and the Department of Health to deliver strategic communication and social marketing to the north east, alongside managing the reputation of NHS North East.

Claire’s career with the NHS commenced in July 2007, having previously worked in the private sector as a marketing and communications specialist.

Claire has a business degree from Sheffield Hallam, a post graduate diploma in marketing and is a chartered marketer and qualified lecturer. 

Yvonne Evans Strategic head of patient safety

Carole Price Strategic head of finance and assurance

Caroline Thurlbeck Strategic head of performance

Julie Ross Strategic head of commissioning and primary care

Teresa Fenech Deputy chief nurse

Phil Bain Strategic head of emergency preparedness & resilience