Careers / Appointments - December 2023

Sheelagh Carr has been appointed assistant director of finance – capital, costing and financial systems at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. She was previously head of costing systems and projects at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Sophie Harrison (pictured) has been named interim chief finance officer at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. She steps up from deputy chief finance officer at the organisation and is covering for Tim Glenn, who has been appointed interim chief finance officer at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust on a 12-month secondment. Mr Glenn joined the Royal Papworth trust as chief finance officer in 2020.

Amy Denning has become assistant director of finance at Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust. She was previously senior finance business partner at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

Terry Whittle is the new chief finance officer at The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, taking over from acting chief finance officer Jerry Francine. Mr Whittle moves from Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he has been director of finance. Former substantive chief finance officer Kevin Curnow moved to East London NHS Foundation Trust as chief finance officer in September. Mr Curnow replaces Samanthi Gibbens at the East London trust. Ms Gibbens has moved to Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (North London Mental Health Partnership) as chief finance officer.

Louisa Cowell, who has been through the One NHS Finance national finance leaders talent pool programme, has become chief finance officer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, having previously been deputy chief finance officer at the organisation.

Nick Brown, who has also been through the One NHS Finance national finance leaders talent pool programme, has been appointed chief finance and resources officer at Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust. He steps up from deputy director of finance and replaces Sheila Stenson, who is now chief executive at the trust. Ms Stenson won the HFMA Deputy Finance Director of the Year award in 2016 and was a finalist for the HFMA Finance Director of the Year award in 2021. She replaces Helen Greatorex, who has retired.

Jane Tomkinson (pictured) has taken over as chief executive at Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. She has held the role on an acting basis since December 2022, while also serving as chief executive at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which she has now left. Ms Tomkinson was awarded an OBE in 2016 for her services to NHS finance and won the HFMA Finance Director of the Year Award in 2007.

James Mackey (pictured) has been appointed chief executive at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, leaving his post as chief executive at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Former trust finance director and a former chief executive of NHS Improvement, Sir James will step down from his role as interim chief operating officer at NHS England, but continue to lead the national elective recovery programme. He replaces Jackie Daniel at Newcastle, who has held the job for five years.

Ross Ashton has joined East of England Ambulance Trust as deputy director of finance., having been head of finance at Icefresh Foods. He replaces Heather Madden, who has retired.

Peter Axon has been appointed to the substantive post of chief executive at Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board, after joining as interim chief executive in 2021. A former NHS finance director, he was chief executive at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust.

Katherine Archer (pictured) has been appointed deputy chief finance officer (financial management) at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Ms Archer moves from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where she was deputy director of finance (performance and reporting).

South West says goodbye to 60 years of experience

Two directors of operational finance for the South West region of NHS England – Sharon Kingscott and Kevin Davis (pictured) – retired in September after clocking up almost 60 years of working in NHS finance between them.

Ms Kingscott first joined the NHS in 1991, working at the North Bristol NHS Trust, where she studied initially for her AAT and then her CIMA qualifications. She later spent five years outside the NHS working for Hewlett Packard as a senior financial analyst before rejoining the NHS in 2002 to help set up the new Bristol Primary Care Trust. 

In 2012, she was appointed chief finance officer and deputy chief officer for South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, before joining NHS England (South) in 2018 as deputy regional director of finance. Following the regional restructuring in 2020, Ms Kingscott took on the role of regional director of operational finance and capital for the South West region. 

Mr Davis similarly has 25 years’ experience working in the NHS either side of an eight-year break. When he rejoined the NHS in 2008, it was to work in acute providers in Oxford. In 2015 he went on secondment to NHS England before being permanently appointed in 2016. 

He was on the HFMA South Central Branch committee during his time in Oxford and then for the South West Branch, standing down just a year ago.

Ms Kingscott and Mr Davis between them supported the seven integrated care systems in the South West. While Ms Kingscott also oversaw the region’s capital team, Mr Davis did the same for the region’s reporting team.