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Chair: Neil Large MBE
Neil joined the Trust on 1 March 2025. He is an experienced NHS professional with extensive Board level experience who is passionate about the NHS, the patients it serves and its staff who deliver inspirational and dedicated care day in day out.
A qualified accountant, Neil was appointed to his first board level post as Finance Director at Chester Health Authority before becoming its Chief Executive Officer. Neil also undertook the Chief Executive Officer role of the Family Health Services Authority in the early 1990s.
In 2001 Neil was appointed Finance Director of the then newly-formed Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority. Following retirement in 2006 he joined Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust and subsequently acted as Chair from August 2009 to March 2022.
During his tenure the Trust was rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Neil also served as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust from 2014 to 2021.
Neil was awarded the MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours list for services to healthcare in both the NHS and charitable sectors where Neil has given many years of service as a Trustee at Tarporley Cottage Hospital and The Hospice of The Good Shepherd.
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Sarah Corcoran
Sarah trained as a nurse in Manchester in the 1980s and after qualifying led a Stroke Care Development Unit. She then worked in a number of Trusts as a senior nurse involved in quality improvement and nursing management. In the course of this work, she developed an interest in patient and staff safety, how teams work together to maintain and improve safety, risk management and clinical governance. Sarah went on to work for 25 years in this field, and was a Director of Clinical Governance for a large Trust in the North West. She has worked across health systems locally and nationally to develop governance structures, assurance processes and been involved in the delivery of safety projects across all specialties. She retired from her full-time NHS post in January 2022 and this is her first Non-Executive Director role.
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Hasintha Gunawickrema
Hasintha is a Chartered Management Accountant and an alumna of Harvard Business School, bringing over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector across the UK, Europe, and Asia. She has held senior executive roles in major multinational banks and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of a UK Building society.
With a strong background in finance, risk management, service & operational management and technology transformation, Hasintha is passionate about using her expertise to help the Trust deliver outstanding care and equitable services for the communities it serves.
A committed advocate for leadership development, diversity, and inclusion, she has mentored emerging leaders and championed inclusive workplaces throughout her career. Hasintha is deeply motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the Trust’s mission of providing the highest quality care in a safe environment with kindness at all times.
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Andrew Hassell
Until his retirement from clinical practice in September 2021, Professor Hassell was a consultant rheumatologist at the Haywood Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent. He was also head of the School of Medicine at Keele University. Professor Hassell has also been a non-executive director at the University Hospital of North Midlands.
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Paul Jones
Paul graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Manchester Metropolitan University, going on to work in the automotive industry for over 30 years. A Chartered Engineer by profession, he was primarily based in Cheshire, initially with Foden Trucks at Sandbach and from 2000 with Bentley Motors at Crewe. He has also completed assignments in USA, Germany and the Netherlands. He brings over 15 years of Board-level experience both as a Vehicle Line Director and latterly as Director of Product Management, with executive responsibility for all future Bentley product strategy.
His current role is Chief Executive at the Northern Automotive Alliance, a not-for-profit trade association responsible for the activities of the automotive sector in the North of England. Paul is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is also the current Chair of its Technical Strategy Board. Paul is the lead Non-Executive Director for Freedom To Speak Up and the Sustainability Strategy Group.
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Angela Simpson-McEwan
Angela is a Registered Mental Health Nurse who trained at the York School of Nursing in the 1980s. After qualifying, she specialised in acute in-patient mental health care, leading her team to achieve Nursing Development Unit accreditation for its innovative, research-informed, and patient-centred practice. This work led to a lecturing post at the University of York, where Angela began her academic career. She later completed a PhD at Newcastle University and progressed to become Professor and Head of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Professional Education. In 2018, Angela moved to Cheshire and is currently Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society at University of Chester.
With over 40 years’ experience working within the NHS and higher education, she brings extensive expertise in health transformation, NHS workforce development, and the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care.
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Peter Williams
Pete is a chartered internal auditor and chartered accountant.
He started his career in external audit with Deloitte, before spending 15 years in a variety of private sector internal audit roles. Most recently he was a senior civil servant in HM Treasury, leading the Government Internal Audit Agency’s provision of digital, data and technology, programme and project management and commercial and grants assurance across central government, including at the Department of Health and Social Care and a number of its arm’s length bodies.
He is a trustee of and audit committee member for the Road Safety Trust.
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Wendy Williams
Wendy has served on NHS Boards for over 20 years with her most recent role being the Deputy Chair of Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group. She has held positions including the Chair of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and three other NHS non-executive director positions.
Professionally working as a Change Director in both the private and public sectors, Wendy has led large scale change projects in several UK central government departments as well as private sector organisations in France, Germany and the USA. She now continues to coach executives on handling change and volunteers as a coach for various charity CEOs. Wendy has twice served as a school governor and has also been a member of a regional NSPCC Business Board.
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