Meet our Senior Leadership Group
We have a dynamic leadership team focussed on the delivery of high quality health and care services for the people of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
The team is led by a group of experienced Executive Directors. You can read more about each of them below:
Roger Dunshea
Acting Chair and Non-Executive Director
About me
Roger was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System in March 2022. Roger is a chartered public finance accountant and former member of the Senior Civil Service. He was director of finance and operations at Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water sector in England and Wales for over fifteen years. Previously he held clinical, operational management and executive director roles in the NHS.
In the last ten years Roger has developed his non-executive expertise in audit and risk assurance. This has included working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Medical Research Council, the Geological Society, the Welsh Government, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Defence Electronics and Components Agency and the NHS. In recent years he has taken on leadership and governance non executive responsibilities relating to health research, innovation, digital and artificial intelligence.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
In 1980 I joined the NHS in Glasgow as a student nurse because I wanted to help and care for people suffering ill health. Since then my career has evolved gaining experience in health services management, regulation and broader public service. This has given me the privilege of working alongside service users, partners and colleagues in local and central government, voluntary organisation and the NHS. My goal is always to improve and develop services that should be tailored to the needs of individuals, notably those who are vulnerable or are disadvantaged by inequality.
What are your passions outside of work?
I enjoy the outdoors, notably rambles around Shropshire with our three dogs and further afield in the mountains of the UK and some overseas. My first degree was in geology, so anything rocky is always fun with my new interest developing in planetary geosciences. For a number of years I have volunteered with Natural England at the SSSI bog at Fenns and Whixall moss, our goal is to recreate the bog to act as a massive carbon sink and protect rare plant and animal species. In 2021 we were very privileged to become Natural England's Volunteer Team of the Year.
Claire Skidmore
Chief Finance Officer
About me
Claire has worked in the NHS for over 25 years and is an experienced NHS Chief Finance Officer, holding executive positions in commissioning organisations for more than 10 years. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds an MBA from Warwick University.
Claire’s experience extends well beyond finance as she feels privileged to have been responsible for a wide range of functions in her time as an executive. In 2021 Claire also spent some time as Accountable Officer for Shropshire Telford and Wrekin CCG.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
I joined the NHS straight after college and enjoy being able to use the skills and knowledge that I have gained over my career to support and drive service improvement. I am a keen advocate of the NHS and am proud to be part of a diverse and multidisciplinary team. I value the opportunity that my role brings to work with great people across health and social care.
What are your passions outside of work?
I enjoy a variety of pastimes outside of work from tap dancing and pilates to eating out and socialising with friends. I love to travel, both within the UK and abroad.
Vanessa Whatley
Chief Nursing Officer
Executive lead for:
- Safeguarding (all age) including looked after children
Claire Parker
Director of Strategy and Development
About me
After graduating from Leicester University in Pharmacy, Claire spent 13 years as a community pharmacist before taking a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Community Pharmacy. She then moved to work with General Practitioners to support prescribing and medicines management, and became a non-medical independent prescriber in one of the early cohorts.
In 2012 Claire took the opportunity to widen her portfolio and became Chief Officer – Quality for Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG which included provider quality, safeguarding, Continuing Healthcare and corporate governance, as well as medicines management. She developed a customer care approach to concerns and complaints called ‘Time to Talk’, led the health input into the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) for Sandwell as well as chairing the Safeguarding Board and supported her safeguarding team to develop the CSE Superhero campaign.
Claire’s interest in children’s health and wellbeing led to a role as Improvement Director for Children and Families at Birmingham Community Trust, and she also spent a short time in the North West working in a different system as a Transformation Director before returning to the Midlands as Partnerships Director for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCG.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
I have always wanted to make a difference to those who are more vulnerable when accessing healthcare and making it easer to try and navigate the complex systems of health and social care. I have been a chair of Governors at a primary school and a trustee of a Domestic Abuse refuge. Working with those with a learning disability and autism, children, young people and families and ensuring prevention and support, equity and fair access for all is why I love doing my role. Keeping people at the heart of why we do what we do.
What are your passions outside of work?
I have lots of creative interests, its not all science, and I like painting and making things, cooking and baking, but my main love is theatre. I am a member of an amateur theatre company and I ‘tread the boards’ and work backstage when I can. I also love music, dancing and took my first ballet exam in 2018. I have two grown up daughters.
Ian Bett
Chief Delivery Officer
Ian has over 15 years of experience working at a senior level within hospital operations, developing and realising strategic NHS ambitions, delivering successful transformation and radical change across healthcare.
He has led large-scale transformation programmes including delivery of trust-wide improvement plans such as patient flow Coordination Centres, Covid19 vaccination hubs across Cheshire and Merseyside and shared services across Greater Manchester for cancer and decontamination services.
Ian is skilled in Quality Improvement methodology and is passionate on how it can be maximised to benefit both staff and patients.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
My mother and sister both work in the NHS and I have always been motivated by the work they do. In addition to this, my daughter has special needs and, seeing the fantastic care she has received, from birth until now (she is nearly 13), has further encouraged me to do my bit in helping to make life better for people.
What are your passions outside of work?
Sport – cricket in the summer and football in the winter. I’ve also recently started coaching my son’s football team.
Simon Whitehouse
Chief Executive Officer
About me
Simon has worked in the NHS for 30 years in a variety of roles. He graduated as a physiotherapist from Keele University in 1995, having trained at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH). He started out as a Physiotherapy Assistant and learnt a lot from that role before he trained and qualified as a physio.
Having worked clinically for several years, he went to work for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in their employment relations team and worked nationally on the introduction of the NHS Agenda for Change Pay System, prior to moving into more senior management roles.
More recently, Simon was Chief Executive of two of the Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Groups, before joining the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS as its Director in June 2017.
Simon is passionate about clinical leadership and about ensuring that our focus is always on improving things for the people that we serve. He has a Master’s degree in leadership and change management from Manchester University.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
Somewhat stereotypically, this came from my own personal experiences and injuries. As a result of quite a bad footballing injury (fractured ankle), I spent a significant amount of time undergoing rehabilitation with a physiotherapist. I was genuinely interested in the work that they did with me and found myself asking lots of questions. My desire to work in the NHS grew from that point and I was fortunate to be able to have a career in an area that I was interested in and really enjoyed.
What are your passions outside of work?
You will find me out with my dog Aero every morning irrespective of the weather. I try and ensure that I have at least an hour out with him every day of the week and that helps my mental wellbeing as much as it helps with the physical exercise.
I have 2 grown up daughters that keep me busy and we still enjoy family meals out and family holidays.
When not walking Aero, I really enjoy a wide variety of sports (predominantly watching now rather than playing!). I am an avid Liverpool FC supporter and will go to as many games as possible with my eldest daughter. Linked to my interest in sport, I am also a Trustee for the Foundation at Port Vale Football Club. Throughout my career I have always looked to give something back and to volunteer my time to support a charity or a local community group.
Dr Lorna Clarson
Chief Medical Officer
Dr Julie Garside
Director of Planning, Performance, BI and Analytics
About me
Julie joined the NHS via the Gateway to Leadership scheme in 2004 after a career in the electronic manufacturing services industry, having completed a PhD in Electrochemistry.
She was an Operations Director and won several supplier awards. Since joining the NHS Julie has worked in a PCT, CCG and now looks forward to the new challenges of our ICB.
Over the years she has helped deliver several millions of pounds of savings as a result of service redesign, contracting and procurement projects. She also led STW to the achievement of 18wk RTT and cancer waiting time targets which unfortunately due to the recent pandemic have all slipped back. Julie intends to do all she can to help us achieve those key waiting time targets once again for our patients!
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
I wanted to make a difference! Working in industry was interesting and challenging and involved lots of global travel but chasing a share price and industry awards did not really motivate me. Working in health and social care aligns with my personal values, as I have a passion for continuous improvement and want our health care to be the best it can be for the people of STW.
What are your passions outside of work?
I am currently the President of my local WI. My other pastimes include reading, cooking, gardening (in my veggie patch!), walking in our stunning Shropshire countryside and I love travelling and exploring the world.
Alison Smith
Chief Business Officer
About me
Alison started her career in management within the manufacturing industry in both Shropshire and the West Midlands, before securing a role at Telford and Wrekin Council in 2001.
In 2009, she became Trust Secretary for NHS Telford and Wrekin PCT subsequently becoming Executive Lead for Governance and Engagement in NHS Telford and Wrekin CCG in 2013 and Director of Corporate Affairs at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin CCG in 2021. Alison currently holds the role of Director of Corporate Affairs for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
As Director of Corporate Affairs, she is responsible for ensuring NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin complies with relevant legal, constitutional and regulatory requirements. Alison is also the Company Secretary and is involved with Corporate Services, Complaints and PALs, Information Governance, Health and Safety and Security Management and Corporate Estates.
Alison has recently led the successful merger of the CCGs in 2021 and oversaw the development of the governance structures for NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin in 2022.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
Through working in the NHS team I feel I am making a positive and direct contribution to the quality of health and care services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
What are your passions outside of work?
I love to travel and have had the opportunity over the last 25 years to see some amazing places in the world
Nigel Lee
Chief Strategy Officer
Executive lead for:
- Integrated Care Strategy and Joint Forward Plan
- Health Inequalities
About me
Beginning his career as a helicopter pilot in the RAF, Nigel served in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands and Iraq. He completed tours in the Defence Procurement Agency and Ministry of Defence on major programmes and strategic planning, before starting his healthcare career in 2006 as a hospital director for a BUPA hospital in the Wirral. He joined the NHS in 2009, initially at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital before moving to Aintree University Hospital, and led a range of service configuration developments in the Cheshire and Merseyside area. Before joining The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in March 2018 as the Chief Operating Officer, Nigel worked as the Director of Secondary Care for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, where he was responsible for four hospital sites, women’s services and the specialist cancer centre. He led elective and diagnostics improvement projects and played a lead role in the whole-system urgent and emergency care development programme.
Nigel took up the role of Director of Strategy & Partnerships at SATH in 2022, progressing the Trust’s strategic work and development of integration with the Integrated Care System. Since August 2023, he has also worked in a combined role with the ICB, leading integrated system development and the Integrated Care Strategy, and was appointed as Chief Strategy Officer in July 24.
What inspired you to work in health and social care?
After 20 years of public service in the RAF, I was keen to maintain the strong sense of purpose and benefit to the population that I have experienced in the military and which the NHS prides itself on. I continue to be inspired by the camadarie and teamwork across health and social care, and want to play my part in supporting teams to innovate, work together and deliver the best possible care for our communities.
What are your passions outside of work?
I am a keen hill walker (recently scaling Mount Kilimajaro with my son) and regularly visit North Wales, Lake District and Scotland with my dogs. I support my wife in her passion for horses, both at home and various events. I also enjoy gardening, growing vegetables and fruit, as well as using my small tractor to maintain the horse paddocks.