Executive directors

John Wilbraham, BA Hons, IPFA, IHM, Chief Executive

John joined the NHS in 1984 and has been at East Cheshire NHS Trust since February 2002 joining as director of finance before becoming chief executive in March 2003.

His NHS career started as a finance trainee after completing a degree in Business Studies at Liverpool. He worked at Central Manchester from 1984 to 2002 working in many positions from finance trainee to deputy director of finance. On two occasions John acted as director of finance at Central Manchester before moving to East Cheshire NHS Trust.
 
For a short time during this period, John worked as a management consultant for a company specialising in NHS Consultancy.
 
As well as working at the trust John is a member of the 2012 Health Legacy Committee of the North West Strategic Health Authority, is a member of the Cheshire East Adult Safeguarding Board and chairs the Audit and Performance Sub Committee of that board. He also acted as chairman of the Macclesfield Local Strategic Partnership prior to the disestablishment of Macclesfield Borough Council.

In April 2011 East Cheshire Trust John led the negotiations for the integration of community services from Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT to extend the range of services and the geographical footprint served by the trust.

 

Robert Stead, Medical Director

Rob qualified in medicine from the University of Birmingham in 1977. He subsequently trained in general and respiratory medicine at Southampton General Hospital, Brompton Hospital, London, and as a senior registrar in teaching hospitals in West Yorkshire. 

He was appointed consultant in general and respiratory medicine at Macclesfield in 1990. In the trust he has held posts of postgraduate clinical tutor and head of the division of medical specialties. In November 2006 he was appointed medical director (strategy) with the role of providing clinical leadership to the strategic planning and development of the trust's clinical services. 

In June 2007 Rob was appointed to the post of Medical Director of the trust and as such his role is to provide medical advice to the Trust Board and clinical leadership within the trust. He has contributed to the development of the trust’s clinically lead business units. He continues to provide a clinical service as a consultant.

Rob is an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians of London. He is a vice president of East Cheshire Hospice. Over and above his family, his other outside interests include sailing and hill walking.  

 

Neil Cook, Director of Finance

Neil joined East Cheshire NHS Trust on 4 October 2010 and is responsible for finance and estates. He qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants in 1995 and is now a Fellow there.

He joined the NHS in 1992, rising steadily through the finance teams in a number of trusts before becoming deputy director of finance at the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust in Merseyside.

From there, Neil sought to broaden his horizons and experience by joining the NHS Executive as assistant director of Ffnance, where he was link accountant for a large portfolio of hospitals across the North West. He was responsible for advising trusts and health authorities on national policy, mergers and the development of business cases for capital investment.

He then moved to Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority in a similar role and, in 2003, was seconded to Ellesmere Port and Neston PCT as finance director. He was appointed director of finance and resources at Halton PCT in 2005 and, when it merged with another PCT in 2006, moved to Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust as interim finance director before joining Trafford Healthcare as finance director in 2007. Neil lives in Ridley, Cheshire with his wife and three sons and enjoys football, swimming and rugby. He has recently developed a passion for growing his own produce and has been known to dabble in his own artwork.

 

Kath Senior, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Nursing, Performance and Quality

Kath became Director of Nursing, Performance and Quality in October 2010. An experienced senior manager with a general nursing background, Kath has practical experience of developing and improving clinical services within an acute hospital setting. Kath has managed both elective and emergency care services, developing and implementing improvements in patient pathways to reduce unnecessary delays and improve patient experience.
 
Kath is committed to ensuring high quality and effective clinical services for local patients and has a particular interest in supporting and developing staff involved in delivering clinical services. 

 

 

Julie Green, Director of Corporate Affairs and Governance

Julie Green joined East Cheshire NHS Trust as Director of Corporate Affairs and Governance in February 2011. She has over 25 years experience working within the NHS in both commissioning and provider organisations.

Julie has studied to Masters level at Loughborough University in her specialist subject of Healthcare Governance, achieving an MA (with Distinction). In her spare time she enjoys time with her family, reading and collecting seashells.

 

 

 

Rachael Charlton, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development

Rachael Charlton joined the trust as Director of HR and Workforce in May 2011. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personal Directors and has both an undergraduate and post-graduate degree from the University of Manchester.
 
Rachael’s previous posts include Associate Director of Workforce Strategy NHS North West (she continues in this position one day per week), Deputy Director of Workforce Availability, Department of Health, London; Director, National Workforce Projects Team; and Director of Workforce, Greater Manchester Workforce Development Confederation.
 
Her current portfolio includes workforce strategy and planning, leading the trust’s people management and organisational development agenda and communications. Previous roles have included the development of eWIN - a benchmarking and knowledge management tool for sharing national and local workforce intelligence, and, Demography is Destiny – an international project to support long term workforce planning. Whilst at the Department of Health, Rachael led the workforce contribution to World Class Commissioning and the Workforce Availability Programme with SHAs.
 
Rachael is currently a non-executive member of the Skills for Care North West Regional Board. Outside work she enjoys running and cycling.

How to get in touch with our Executive Directors

If you would like to get in touch with our Executive Directors please email Fiona Baker, PA at fionabaker@nhs.net