Cathy Kennedy

I am currently the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Care Trust Plus and the emerging Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in North East Lincolnshire, which  commission both health and adult social care services through a formal partnership arrangement with the local council.

I joined the NHS after University as a Regional Finance Trainee (a pre-cursor to NFMTS), qualifying with CiPFA and then working within the secondary care sector for 12 years  including as Director of Finance at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, which was becoming a "second wave" NHS Trust and Scunthorpe and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust.  Each role has offered me the opportunity to manage a number of portfolio’s including Strategic and Business Planning, IM&T, and Contracting. 

In 2000, I took the opportunity to move from 'poacher to gamekeeper' by joining the newly established "first wave" PCT in North East Lincolnshire as Director of Finance and Commissioning. In 2007 the PCT responsibilities were joined with adult social care responsibilities delegated by the local authority, to become an NHS 'Commissioning Care Trust'.

Why I wanted to be an HFMA trustee

I have been an active supporter of HfMA since joining the NHS as a trainee in 1985, initially in the Yorkshire branch. Over the years I have been a branch chairman twice, on national committees and national boards, organized several regional and spring conferences, and always made the most of the networking opportunities! I believe that the association is offers a unique range of services and opportunities to the finance community, and influences the national agenda in an effective way. I became a Trustee because I wanted to do what I could to help the association continue to be a real benefit to its members, and I have personally gained a lot in terms of my understanding of the issues that affect the different healthcare sectors and the 4 nations that the association supports.