Our team
Team filter:
Ted Baker
Board
Chair
Ted comes to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body having most recently been Chief Inspector of Hospitals at the Care Quality Commission for five years.
He has had a long clinical and academic career that began when he joined the NHS as a teenager working as a laboratory technician. He went on to qualify as a doctor specialising in paediatric cardiology, pioneering the magnetic resonance imaging of the heart in children with complex heart disease and leading a project to build the first new children’s hospital in London in over a century. He has held a number of senior clinical leadership and academic posts and published extensively on paediatric cardiology, clinical leadership and patient safety.
Throughout his career he has recognised the need to improve the safety of healthcare and has brought that determination to his role chairing the new body.
Ted is the first Chair of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). He's held the position since October 2023.
Declaration of interests
Member of the GS1 UK Healthcare Advisory Board, since January 2024.
Non-Executive Director at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, since November 2023.
Member of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, since 2011.
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, since 1994.
Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, since 1997.
Last updated: 20 January 2025.
Rosie Benneyworth
Board
Chief Executive Officer
Rosie joined the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) in August 2022 and is now the interim Chief Executive Officer of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), having led the transition to the new arm’s length body.
She has a longstanding interest in improving the quality and safety of care that people receive and has held several senior leadership roles in health. This has included Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Managing Director of the Southwest Academic Health Science Network, and as a clinical commissioner with Somerset Primary Care Trust and Clinical Commissioning Group. Rosie has a background in primary care and worked as a GP in Somerset for 15 years.
Rosie has significant non-executive experience, and is currently a non-executive director on the board of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. She has also held roles as a non-executive director and Vice Chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and a Trustee of the Nuffield Trust.
Declaration of interests
Non-Executive Director at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, since July 2025.
Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, since 2001.
Last updated: 14 July 2025.
Stephen Carruthers
Board
Finance and Resources Director
Stephen is an experienced accountant and has worked in NHS finance for over 20 years.
Before joining our team, Stephen served as Head of Finance at the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board, where he played a key role to deliver the organisation's objectives whilst ensuring efficient use of resources.
Throughout his career, Stephen has held key finance positions at several prominent NHS organisations, including the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Islington Primary Care Trust, NHS London Strategic Health Authority and NHS Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group. His experience across various NHS bodies has equipped him with a strong understanding of NHS finance, strategic planning and financial governance.
Stephen is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Declaration of interests
Treasurer, Trustee and Chair of the Finance, Audit, Risk and Governance Committee at Age Well East.
Last updated: 2 June 2025.
Mary Cunneen
Board
Non-Executive Director
Mary has been a Non-Executive Director of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Board since October 2023.
She is a lawyer by profession, starting her career as a criminal defence lawyer before moving onto specialising in human rights as Director of Law and Policy at Liberty, Director of Anti-Slavery International, Human Rights Advisor to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and senior lawyer at the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Mary was a Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) during a period of substantial change, leading investigations into police conduct, including deaths in custody, corruption and serious sexual assaults. She was the IPCC board lead for child sexual abuse and oversaw development of IPCC strategy and procedures and numerous investigations into police handling of child sexual abuse cases.
She is former Chair of the National Referral Mechanism multi-agency panels, reviewing Home Office decisions on the status of trafficking and slavery victims.
Mary is a member of the Law Society.
Declaration of interests
Non-Executive Director at the Disclosure and Barring Service, since April 2019.
Associate member of the FDA.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Mike Durkin
Board
Non-Executive Director
Mike has been a Non-Executive Director of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Board since October 2023.
Throughout his career Mike has supported leaders in patient safety across England and globally. He was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2017 in recognition of his services to patient safety.
He is Senior Advisor on Patient Safety Policy and Leadership at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, and Director of the Academic Partnership for the Global Patient Safety Collaborative, launched in 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK Government. Prior to this he held the position of National Director of Patient Safety at NHS Improvement, from 2012 to 2017.
Mike is a visiting professor at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, and the University of the West of England. He sits on national and international research, policy and patient safety advisory boards, including the WHO Task Force on the Global Action Plan for Patient Safety.
Declaration of interests
Chair of the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaborative Network, since 2023.
Trustee of Patient Safety Watch, since 2023.
Director and shareholder at Zero Harm Consulting Ltd, since 2022.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, since 2000.
Chair of the Governing Board of Trustees at the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, since 2018.
Associate Non-Executive Director at NHS Resolution, since 2016.
Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, since 2016.
Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, since 1981.
Last updated: 10 June 2024.
Marc Esmiley
Board
Non-Executive Director
Marc has been a Non-Executive Director of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Board since October 2023.
He has a distinguished career in technology and risk management, spanning several decades at the forefront of digital innovation. Marc's reputation is built on an innate ability to construct and manage digital businesses and product development, always with a primary focus on customer-centric solutions. He possesses a profound understanding of the intricacies of digitalisation, next-generation services and risk management.
With an unwavering commitment, he has frequently optimised processes in tandem with a company's mission and its foundational values, propelling organisations towards positive change. His expertise shines brightly in sculpting and guiding new, dynamic organisations. In these complex settings, his leadership has been pivotal in addressing challenges and laying foundational structures for success.
Declaration of interests
Trustee Director at The Mungo Foundation, since March 2022.
Senior Director, Financial Services Engineering at Microsoft, since June 2017. Shareholder related to employment.
Last updated: 10 June 2024.
Marisa Logan-Ward
Board
Non-Executive Director
Marisa has been a Non-Executive Director of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Board since October 2023.
With a background in biomedical sciences, Marisa has held senior roles in the health sector for over 20 years. Marisa began her career in academic research and then went onto various roles leading on key areas in the transformation of NHS diagnostic services.
Marisa has worked for a range of organisations including the Department of Health, NHS trusts, a Strategic Health Authority, a global laboratory diagnostics providers and the UK’s largest independent hospital group.
Marisa has been involved in national turnaround programmes on quality and patient safety and brings to HSSIB operational experience of improving safety in healthcare.
She is currently a non-executive director at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to joining The Christie, Marisa was a non-executive director and vice chair at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. Marisa is a passionate champion of equality and inclusion.
Declaration of interests
Non-Executive Director at The Christie NHS FT, since September 2025.
Trustee, Greater Manchester Moving , since June 2025.
Director at Kingsbridge Health Ltd, since 2019.
Last updated: 03 September 2025.
Andrew Murphy-Pittock
Board
Education Director
Prior to joining us in 2022, Andrew worked in the NHS for eight years. He held senior roles as Deputy Head of Learning and Head of Undergraduate Medical Education at a large NHS trust.
Andrew holds an executive MBA and postgraduate qualifications in healthcare leadership and professional management in higher education. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, registered Project Management Professional and Prince2 practitioner.
Andrew believes that patient safety should be at the heart of all healthcare systems. He is passionate about learning for improvement by providing robust, effective and practical education programmes, to build stronger and safer systems.
Before finding his niche in NHS education, Andrew had a successful career in travel, event and strategic management in the private and third sectors.
Declaration of interests
Education Associate for Physician Associate Programmes at the General Medical Council, three to four days per year.
A family member works at the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) programme.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Peter Schild
Board
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
Peter has been a Non-Executive Director of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) Board since October 2023.
Peter comes to HSSIB having most recently been the Chief Financial Officer at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, an arm’s length body of the Department for Education, for four years. In this role he created an award-winning corporate services team, and in 2022 was nominated by the National Audit Office for the PwC Annual Report and Accounts award.
He has had a long financial and audit career that began at J Sainsbury plc where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant. He moved onto BT plc where he held various senior financial management roles, before joining the Department for Work and Pensions as Deputy Finance Director responsible for finance, audit and security. Peter was then promoted to Finance Director in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), where he held numerous financial directorships including audit, assurance and security in his last role there.
Peter is a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) and Global Certified Management Accountant (GCMA).
Declaration of interests
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Last updated: 9 June 2025.
Philippa Styles
Board
Director of Investigations
Philippa joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) in November 2023. A paramedic by background, she has worked in the NHS for more than 20 years. Philippa is passionate about patient care, learning and development, and equality, diversity and inclusion. She brings operational, strategic, regulatory and clinical experience to our organisation.
She’s previously held senior leadership roles at the Care Quality Commission and more recently was the Director of Operational Delivery in a community healthcare organisation. Philippa seeks to continually grow as a healthcare leader and has successfully completed a master’s in healthcare leadership. She completed the Nye Bevan Programme for executive leaders in the NHS and believes compassionate, inclusive leadership supports everyone in the NHS to put patients and their safety at the heart of all we do.
Philippa ensures that we continue to build diverse, highly skilled teams and deliver on our organisational vision, and empowers them to improve the safety of healthcare for patients and staff.
Declaration of interests
Registered as a paramedic with the Health & Care Professions Council, since 2005.
Last updated: 22 October 2025.
Scott Hislop
Investigations team
Deputy Director of Investigations
Scott’s background is in aero systems engineering, having spent 28 years in the Royal Navy working on various aircraft.
In 2011, he undertook an MSc in Engineering and Project Management and achieved chartered engineer status in 2012.
He moved into accident investigation in 2014, working at the Defence Accident Investigation Branch as an engineering investigator focusing on the areas of maritime and aviation, before moving into healthcare investigation.
Last updated: 12 December 2024.
Deinniol Owens
Investigations team
Deputy Director of Investigations
Deinniol studied law at the University of Durham and qualified as a solicitor in 2008. He went on to work with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, investigating complaints about NHS care and treatment, and completed a Professional Certificate in Ombudsman and Complaint Handling Practice via Queen Margaret University Edinburgh.
He subsequently worked as a Patient Experience Manager at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and completed the NHS Leadership Academy award in healthcare leadership. He joined the Care Quality Commission as an inspector, and then inspection manager, in its acute hospitals directorate. Deinniol completed further study and obtained the NHS Leadership Academy award in senior healthcare leadership and an MSc in Healthcare Leadership.
Deinniol joined us in January 2018 and has since gone on to develop his interest in human factors, completing an MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh and becoming a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. He has also completed the NHS Leadership Academy Nye Bevan programme in executive leadership and is currently studying for a PhD considering how simulation is used in the training of healthcare safety investigators at the University of Staffordshire.
Deinniol has presented to a variety of audiences on our work and how we adopt safety science in our approach to investigations.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Kathryn Whitehill
Investigations team
Deputy Director of Investigations
Kathryn has a mixed background with professional education in both clinical and legal spheres.
She has healthcare regulatory experience in medical professional regulation and organisational regulation.
She is an experienced NHS manager and worked for the Care Quality Commission as an acute hospitals inspector for both the NHS and private sector. Prior to joining us, she was a senior manager at Price Waterhouse Cooper where she focused on forensic healthcare investigations.
Kathryn holds two master's degrees, in law, medicine and healthcare, and public health. Kathryn has been seconded to the ‘Independent Inquiry into the Issues Raised by the David Fuller Case’ since September 2022.
Mairi Alexander
Investigations team
Safety Investigation Analyst
Mairi has worked, studied, trained, and taught in the NHS since 2005 across many areas of public and private healthcare, including primary and secondary care.
She qualified and worked as a midwife from 2009. Prior to joining us, Mairi conducted patient safety related research at an NHS teaching hospital in London. She has also held roles in safety research, administration, governance, care-coordination and investigation within the healthcare sector.
Mairi enjoys learning and has continued postgraduate study, including research methods and human factors. She’s currently working towards a master’s degree in Human Factors and Patient Safety.
If our safety recommendations are enacted, she has great hope that there will be meaningful change for NHS patients and staff - substantial change that’s not reliant on the latest checklist, just a protocol update or increased vigilance by staff.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Neil Alexander
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Neil is an experienced safety investigator and he’s conducted complex safety investigations across healthcare, maritime, land and air.
He joined us from the Military Air Accident Investigation Branch, after a 30-year career with the Royal Navy. Neil held a range of positions in the Royal Navy, including Lead Human Factors Instructor for aviation.
Neil’s specialisms cover safety management systems, risk management systems, quality management systems, and staff wellbeing and support.
He holds a professional registration with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, and is a member of the Chartered Management Institute, the Institute of Leadership and Management, and the UK Psychological Trauma Society.
Last updated: 1 November 2023.
Jonathan Back
Investigations team
Safety Investigation Analyst
Jonathan joined us as an analyst after previously holding academic positions at University College London and King’s College London. He has a PhD from Loughborough University, where he is a Visiting Research Fellow in Safety Science.
His work at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) focuses on improving the management of safety and understanding inequalities. He has led on the thematic analysis of recurring patient safety risks and medical device investigations.
His long-term aim is to embed safety management principles across the health and care system by working closely with those who have regulatory influence. For example in 2024, Jonathan worked with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to support their development of approaches to patient safety management
Jonathan has authored over 50 peer-reviewed academic papers and his work has been cited over 1,200 times. He has contributed to research funding applications that have been awarded over £5 million in total. He maintains an active interest in Resilience Engineering for health and care, and Machine Learning (Artificial Intelligence) to identify insights from safety reports.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Siân Blanchard
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Siân is a Senior Safety Investigator and has a professional background as a chartered occupational psychologist and human factors specialist. She joined us in February 2021.
Siân was previously Head of Patient Safety Insights, leading a team of safety science analysts to scope HSSIB investigations using a range of safety intelligence and evidence-based research methods. Siân changed roles to become a healthcare investigator drawing on previous safety investigation experience in other high reliability sectors.
Siân supports challenging the health and care system to ensure that care is inclusive and accessible to everyone. She draws on 20 years’ experience applying human factors in defence, rail and commercial aviation, and is interested in how proactive safety risk management principles may be applied to health and care.
She holds professional registrations with the Health and Care Professions Council, the British Psychological Society and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. She is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
Last updated: 11 November 2025.
Clare Crowley
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Clare has 30 years’ experience as a hospital pharmacist in the NHS. She was one of the first pharmacists to work in the area of medication safety in the UK.
In her previous role, she was Consultant Pharmacist in medication safety at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where she led on medication safety work within the Trust and more widely in the UK as an active member of the Medication Safety Office network.
Previously she undertook a PhD that explored ward-based preparation errors with injectable medications arising from her experience as a frontline practitioner.
As a Chartered Ergonomist, her passion now lies in the field of ergonomics and human factors, and how this can be used within healthcare to simultaneously improve safety and people’s wellbeing.
Clare has published research in healthcare safety and presents at national conferences. She supports teaching and research at the School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy at the University of Reading, where she collaborates with Dr Rosemary Lim (Associate Professor in Medication Use and Safety). She has also taught medication safety to undergraduate pharmacy and nurse students.
Clare is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal Pharmaceutical Society Faculty Fellow, Chartered Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics and an ambassador for the Clinical Human Factors Group. She is also an active member of the University of Loughborough Human Factors & Ergonomics Alumni Healthcare Hub, which includes supporting the teaching of healthcare staff in ergonomics.
Last updated: 23 December 2024.
Nichola Crust
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Nichola is a registered nurse trained in healthcare incident investigation. She joined us in March 2017.
She has worked at a strategic level in a variety of healthcare settings spanning primary and secondary care. Her roles have included professional nurse leadership and mentoring of nursing teams, mobilisation of new services including service and workforce redesign, and training and education in incident investigation.
Nichola has developed clinical governance systems in both primary and secondary care, established systems for identifying patient safety risks and has worked collaboratively with local and national bodies relating to healthcare.
Nichola has completed The Health Foundation’s GenerationQ leadership and quality improvement programme and holds an MSc in Leadership (Quality Improvement). She also has significant experience in coaching, action learning and wellbeing.
During the peaks of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Nichola worked in intensive care at an NHS trust in the Midlands.
Last updated: 28 January 2025.
Rebecca Doyle
Investigations team
Safety Investigator
Rebecca is an experienced patient safety professional trained in healthcare incident investigation. She joined us in September 2024.
Prior to this, she spent five years undertaking safety investigations within the UK maternity programme. Before that Rebecca worked for one of the regional ambulance services, her last role being Head of Investigations and Learning. Her portfolio covered incident management and investigation, complaints handling, policy development, education and family engagement.
Rebecca holds a master’s degree in healthcare leadership and has undertaken further training in human factors, quality improvement and structured debriefs. She is currently working towards her registered membership with the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Freya Durrant
Investigations team
Safety Investigator
Freya is a patient safety specialist and speech and language therapist, with a background in leadership and investigation. She joined the team in 2024.
Prior to joining us, Freya was Head of Patient Safety at a large NHS acute trust where she led on the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and projects in restorative just culture.
Freya is working towards an MSc in Human Factors and Ergonomics with the University of Loughborough and registered membership with the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. She is a trained after action review facilitator and Institute for Healthcare Improvement coach.
Russell Evans
Investigations team
Safety Investigator
Russell joined us after a 33-year career as an aeronautical engineer with the Royal Navy.
He is passionate about improving safety and is now applying his human factors and safety science training, plus experience as an air accident investigator, to healthcare.
Russell is a registered engineer and holds an MSc in Engineering and Management.
David Fassam
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
David joined the army in 1991 and worked as an aviation engineer on army helicopters and unmanned air vehicles, before moving into engineering management.
He studied air accident investigation at Cranfield University in 2014, working for the Military Air Accident Investigation Branch. After leaving the army in 2016 he worked at Cobham Aviation, conducting global safety investigations focused on improving safety across the aviation side of the business, before joining our team at the Health Services Safety Investigations Branch (HSSIB).
Last updated: 3 February 2025.
Saskia Fursland
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Saskia is an expert in accident investigation and human factors.
She was previously an aviation psychologist at the Royal Air Force Centre of Aviation Medicine, where she investigated human factors in military air accidents and used her experience to take a more proactive approach to flight safety. Saskia has also provided bespoke advice to civilian air accident investigations in the UK.
Saskia now applies her investigation and human factors skills to healthcare in her role with us at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB).
Last updated: 29 January 2025.
Keely Galloway
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Keely’s background is in healthcare quality improvement and safety, including clinical audits, risk management and investigation.
In 2015 she was an improvement leader fellow for NIHR CLAHRC Northwest London - the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC). As part of this she led on incident investigation and management training, including duty of candour.
Before joining us she held the post of Corporate Safety and Effectiveness Manager at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Craig Hadley
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Craig joined the Army in 1996, spending over 23 years as an aviation engineer, including safety, leadership and strategic roles.
He is a professionally registered Chartered Engineer and has an MSc in Engineering and Management. Craig’s last role in the military was as a Defence Air Accident Investigator, investigating UK military incidents and accidents, globally.
Craig joined us as an investigator to continue his passion for improving system safety in a different and challenging sector.
Last updated: 17 December 2024.
Oseghale Osezua Igene
Investigations team
Safety Investigation Analyst
Oseghale’s background is in Computer Science. He obtained his PhD in Computing Science at the University of Glasgow, with the research focused on applying a proposed systemic accident analysis approach (based on the AcciMap method) in analysing software/IT-related cases in healthcare. Oseghale joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) in August 2025.
Before joining HSSIB, he taught and supported students in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and conducted education outreach activities for Queen’s University Belfast. After teaching, he also worked as a research fellow on an AI-based project applying a safety assurance methodology to an autonomous service at the University.
Oseghale is very much interested in the systems thinking paradigm by applying systemic accident approaches not only regarding Health Information Technology (HIT), but also in learning, understanding and applying safety assurance methodologies, especially for emerging new technologies including the proliferation of AI technologies within healthcare and other safety-critical industries.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Matt Mansbridge
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Matt comes from a legal background, having qualified as a solicitor in 2011. Since then, he has specialised in personal injury and clinical negligence, and also held the position of Legal Service Manager for an NHS trust. Matt has also investigated deaths on behalf of HM Coroner, as a Coroner’s Officer.
Matt has a particular interest in working with families and NHS staff involved in healthcare incidents. He believes that improving patient safety is important, to make a difference to those providing care as well as those receiving it. He feels privileged to work in a unique organisation that strives to improve patient safety and trust in the healthcare system, through the application of safety science.
Last updated: 28 January 2025.
Melanie Ottewill
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator and Senior Investigation Science Educator
Melanie is part of both our education and investigation teams.
She has worked in the NHS for over 30 years, initially in clinical roles, and has extensive experience of healthcare safety investigations. She spent 10 years as Head of Clinical Investigations for a large acute NHS trust leading patient safety incident investigations and ensuring meaningful engagement with patients, families and staff during the process.
Melanie has significant teaching experience and holds a postgraduate certificate in medical education. She is a chartered member of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Jas Palak
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Jas has a background as a professional investigator and has worked across a wide range of safety-critical industries including automotive, rail and aircraft production, with a focus on foreseeability and systemic risk factors.
Trained in human factors and safety science, Jas feels that we look to bring an entirely new approach to the investigation of healthcare safety incidents. He particularly enjoys working closely with patients, families and healthcare staff and contributing to positive outcomes in extremely difficult incidents.
Jas holds an honours degree in Law, a Legal Practice Certificate and a master's degree in Commercial Legal Practice.
Last updated: 12 December 2024.
Denham Phipps
Investigations team
Safety Investigation Analyst
Denham trained as an occupational psychologist, specialising in ergonomics/human factors. He joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) in April 2025.
He has a particular interest in the assessment of safety risks and work design requirements for healthcare systems, and in the examination of safety culture and learning in healthcare organisations.
Prior to joining HSSIB, Denham was a lecturer in the pharmacy department at the University of Manchester, carrying out research on risk management and teaching in patient safety and healthcare leadership. Previously, he’s worked on personnel selection and assessment in the nuclear power sector, on systems engineering and human factors projects in the defence sector, and as a human factors consultant in the petrochemical and healthcare sectors. He has also carried out doctoral and postdoctoral research in patient safety.
Denham is an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a registered member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. In addition to his HSSIB role, he remains a visiting lecturer and is on the applied ergonomics committee of the British Standards Institution, which develops cross-industry standards and guidance.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Georgie Slater
Investigations team
Investigations Support Administrator
Georgie facilitates the smooth running of our investigation function as part of a dynamic administration team.
She joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council where she was Senior Business Support Officer. She has previously held roles across the private and public sectors, including with the Department for Work and Pensions, and Dixons Carphone. These roles have equipped her with experience in highly sensitive administration support, safeguarding, engagement, data entry and managing complex workloads.
Georgie’s career highlights include assisting with the roll out of the Government Kickstart scheme which was aimed at preventing long term youth unemployment and achieving top regional performer as a Customer Consultant.
Last updated: 17 May 2024.
Nicola Vick
Investigations team
Safety Investigation Analyst
Nicola joined HSSIB in April 2025 as an analyst. With a background in mental health social work, Nicola has also worked in research and regulatory roles with a particular focus on the safety, quality and effectiveness of mental health care.
Nicola has experience of carrying out national research studies and thematic reviews including leading a review of acute inpatient mental health services for the Healthcare Commission and a thematic review of mental health crisis care for the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Her interest in patient safety was sparked by her responsibility as the CQC cross sector data lead for the national patient safety data sets and her work to develop analysis and tools for inspection staff to support the ongoing monitoring of providers. She is passionate about working as part of an organisation focused on improving the safety of healthcare and which could have a positive impact on the care and treatment people receive.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Nick Woodier
Investigations team
Senior Safety Investigator
Nick is a qualified medical doctor with a background practicing emergency medicine. In response to his growing interest in safety science, he redirected his career and is now a human factors specialist with chartership through the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
Nick joined us in 2019 following several years working in the NHS acute sector. In the NHS he held various roles leading safety investigations and governance programmes. He initially joined us in our intelligence unit before becoming an investigator in 2020.
Nick’s specialist areas include investigation methodologies and tools, qualitative research, and supporting people after traumatic events. He holds a master’s degree in human factors and was awarded his PhD by the University of Nottingham for research into safety in healthcare and other safety-critical industries. He also holds various honorary teaching commitments in relation to patient safety and quality improvement.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Professor Paul Bowie
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Alongside his investigation education role with us at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), Paul is Professor of Human Factors for Health and Social Care at the University of Staffordshire and Programme Director (Safety and Improvement) with NHS Education for Scotland.
He is a Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors specialist by profession with over 30 years of experience in a range of patient safety leadership, education and research roles in healthcare and academia.
Paul gained his doctorate in significant event analysis from the University of Glasgow in 2004. He has published over 200 peer reviewed articles on healthcare quality and safety in international journals and co-edited a book on patient safety and quality improvement.
Paul is also Honorary Professor and a PhD supervisor and examiner in the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow. He is Honorary Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of General Practitioners; Patient Safety Lead of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Healthcare Special Interest Group; and a Clinical Human Factors Group Ambassador.
Last updated: 5 February 2025.
Megan Connelly
Education team
Education Team Administrator
Megan joined our education team in July 2023. She brings with her an extensive background in customer service, administration and hospitality in the private sector.
As part of her role, Megan handles our learning management system and learner enquires, whilst providing support to the Education Director. She approaches all aspects of her job with a positive mindset and enjoys working as part of a team.
Megan has an interest in education and is always looking for ways to develop her skills.
Last updated: 1 November 2023.
Sophie Hide
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Sophie has a career that spans human factors and social sciences and has worked in both practitioner and research roles across a range of sectors.
She had a first career as a nurse, specialising in occupational health. This was followed by an MSc and, later, a PhD in ergonomics, with the focus of the latter on underlying systems failures in construction sector accidents.
Her roles have included applied studies for New Zealand Crown Research Institutes and government agencies, spanning construction, forestry and public health issues.
Last updated: 6 January 2025.
Ian Lavery
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Ian has a passion for quality investigative interviewing.
He has 40 years of investigation experience, with 36 of those years spanning a range of criminal and policing investigations up to and including homicide and internal corruption. He also has investigative experience in the fields of HR, security and compliance.
Ian is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Dr Rosemary Lim
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Alongside her role with us, Rosemary is also an Associate Professor in Medication Use and Safety at the University of Reading, where she leads a research group and teaches medication safety.
Rosemary’s academic background is in pharmacy and human factors. She is a UK-registered pharmacist of almost 20 years and gained her doctorate from the Robens Centre for Health Ergonomics, University of Surrey. Rosemary has more than 15 years’ experience in academic healthcare safety research and education. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and presented at international and national conferences.
She also supervises PhD students and by invitation examined PhD students nationally and internationally. Rosemary is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is also an Associate Editor of the journal BMC Health Services Research.
Rosemary is continually learning about and exploring the use of new and existing methods/ways to better understand and make sense of the complex world of healthcare.
Richard McMaster
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Richard is a Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors specialist, with a particular interest in safety-critical systems.
He has 20 years’ experience in research, teaching and leading applied projects within multiple safety-critical domains, including nuclear, defence and the emergency services.
Richard divides his time between healthcare and nuclear/high hazard consultancy work.
Last updated: 30 January 2025.
Mark Sujan
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Mark is a Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors specialist (C.ErgHF). He has worked in patient safety and other safety-critical industries for over 25 years.
Mark is Professor of Safety Science at the University of York, with a particular focus on safety assurance of systems involving artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Mark is a Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), which is the professional membership body for Human Factors and Ergonomics in the UK. He chairs the CIEHF special interest group on AI and Digital Health.
Mark is co-author of ‘Building Safer Healthcare Systems’, which forms the basis for the national patient safety syllabus adopted by NHS England. He supports the delivery of the patient safety syllabus through collaboration with Loughborough University.
Within our education team, Mark supports the delivery of core courses, including Patient Safety Incident Response Oversight and Demystifying Thematic Analysis. He also represents HSSIB in discussions and collaborations with other stakeholders regarding AI and Digital Health.
Last updated: 17 April 2024.
Neill Thompson
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Neill is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and works as a Senior Lecturer in Occupational and Organisational Psychology at Northumbria University, alongside his role with us.
He has consulted with organisations on policy, training and organisational development and has been involved in the areas of safety science and workplace bullying training to healthcare trust teams and through national programmes. Previously he has also worked in acute NHS trusts as an in-house occupational psychologist and in human resource management.
Lauren Turner
Education team
Education Administration Manager
Lauren joined us in February 2021 as a team administrator and was appointed to her current role in July 2022. She has a broad range of administration skills and experience gained across the private, charity and healthcare sectors.
Lauren has a keen interest in content creation, implementation and project management. She has successfully completed the PRINCE2 Foundation qualification in project management.
Last updated: 11 December 2024.
Helen Vosper
Education team
Senior Investigation Science Educator
Helen is a Chartered Human Factors specialist and an academic with professional recognition as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
She is currently also a Senior Lecturer in Patient Safety at the University of Aberdeen, where she is responsible for working with staff to design, deliver and evaluate the patient safety strategy for medical and related programmes. Helen is also a Scientific Adviser to NHS Education for Scotland, supporting the development of both the education programme and a practical toolkit designed to support human factors activity across NHS Scotland.
Hannah Armer Court
Business services team
Board Administrator
Hannah works as part of our dynamic business services team to support the workings of the Board by providing administrative support in advance of, during and post Board and sub-committee meetings. She is also an Employee Advocate.
She joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust where she was Clinical Governance Officer. She has previously held roles that span retail, hospitality, the legal sector and local government. These roles have equipped her with experience in building effective relationships, information governance, data entry, minute taking, writing reports, organising meetings and diary management.
Hannah completed her further and higher education in horse care and management. She holds a foundation degree in Equine Studies.
Last updated: 3 February 2025.
Julia Blomquist
Business services team
Business Manager to Chief Executive Officer and Chair
Julia joined the NHS in 2016, following in her mother’s footsteps.
She has experience of working in a variety of roles across the public and private sector which has shaped and developed her. Julia has held her position at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) since 2019, providing business management and administration support to the executive office. She enjoys working for an organisation which aims to improve safety within the healthcare system.
Last updated: 1 November 2023.
Sarah Graham
Business services team
Board, Governance and Records Manager
Sarah is a records management specialist, with a master’s degree in records management. She is a fellow of the Information and Records Management Society (FIRMS) and an Accredited Member of the Information and Records Management Society (AMIRMS). Sarah also works as a volunteer for the IRMS Public Sector group, providing support and specialist advice on the regular webinars they hold.
Sarah has worked in the records management field for 19 years and has experience in both the private and public sector. She has been in the NHS for the past 12 years.
Sarah brings extensive experience in all aspects of records management, from their creation to their use, retention and disposal. Over the years she has developed corporate strategies and policies, retention schedules and guidance on all manner of topics with regards to records and information management. In 2018 she was awarded Professional of the Year by the IRMS, an award presented by her peers in the records management profession.
In her role with us at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), Sarah also provides specialist advice in the information governance field, and governance/risk management support to the HSSIB Board and HSSIB as a whole.
Last updated: 13 December 2024.
Holly Mitchell
Business services team
Digital Communications Manager
Holly is a communications professional with more than 18 years of experience across the private, public and not for profit sectors.
She started her career in music PR before transferring her skills to healthcare. Her previous roles have provided experience in a range of health organisations including NHS provider trusts, NHS commissioners, membership organisations, and health innovation.
Holly is a specialist in digital communications, including website project management, content production, social media, and email marketing. She has led or contributed to the development of 11 websites. Holly has a particular interest in digital accessibility and making digital products pleasing to use for as many people as possible.
Last updated: 17 November 2025.
Minal Patel
Business services team
Head of Strategy, Policy and Engagement
Minal has worked for the NHS since 2004. Her NHS career started as an allied health professional, where she was also the patient and public involvement lead for the department she worked in. Since then she has primarily worked in health communications, strategy, engagement and policy making.
Her previous roles have provided her with experience within a range of healthcare settings including NHS England, commissioning, providers and academia. She brings with her strategy/policy, strategic communications and engagement expertise.
She has a master’s in Health Policy from Imperial College London and has completed the Executive Strategy programme at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Minal has a particular interest in health inequalities and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Last updated: 2 September 2024.
Luke Paton
Business services team
Project Manager
Luke is a project management professional with over 10 years’ experience managing projects of varying size.
Prior to joining the organisation in 2020, he worked as a project and account manager in the private sector, with a specialism in the heritage and museums field. Luke has a particular interest in process improvement and organisational transformation.
Last updated: 10 December 2024.
Kay Robertson
Business services team
HR and OD Business Partner
Kay is a human resources (HR) and organisational development (OD) professional with significant experience in higher education and the public sector, including local government and healthcare.
She joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) in January 2024 from the University of Oxford, where her last position was as HR Team Leader. She has previously worked at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Head of Workforce within a clinical division.
Her skills span a wide range of workforce specialisms including change management, employee reward, equality, diversity and inclusion, employee relations, and policy development. She is passionate about the role of HR and OD in supporting organisational strategic objectives and she is adept at presenting at Board level.
Kay is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and holds an MBA, completed with distinction in 2011 at the University of Hertfordshire. She is an accredited workplace mediator.
Last updated: 28 January 2025.
Yolanda Salimu
Business services team
HR Administrator
Yolanda is an experienced human resources (HR) professional and has held roles in the private and public sectors, including retail and healthcare.
She joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) from NHS England where she was HR Officer. She has previously worked at the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and Primark, where her last position was People and Culture Manager.
Yolanda completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in human resource management, at Southampton Solent University.
Last updated: 17 April 2024.
Carey Taylor
Business services team
Communications and Engagement Manager
Carey has worked in communications and marketing for 17 years, predominantly in the public sector. Her roles have spanned strategic communications for a borough council to digital marketing for a university. She has also worked as a freelance copywriter producing content for a range of clients in the private and public sector.
Having been at HSSIB since April 2017, she has taken her skills and transferred them into her first role within healthcare and the NHS. As Communications and Engagement Manager, she works and leads on strategic communications planning, media relations, internal communications and stakeholder engagement. She works closely with colleagues to raise awareness of the Health Service Safety Investigations Body’s work.
Carey is proud to be part of an independent organisation that has patient safety at its core. She aims to ensure all communications are inclusive, accessible and impactful.
Last updated: 10 January 2024.
Suraj Theeng
Business services team
Head of Operational Finance
A fully qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Suraj joined the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) in November 2025.
He has over 17 years’ experience in NHS finance, plus more in the private sector as an internal auditor and in customer facing roles. His NHS career has spanned specialised commissioning, a clinical commissioning group, integrated care board, provider trusts and NHS England London region. His most recent previous role was Deputy Head of Financial Control at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust. From production of annual accounts, charity accounting and planning to team management and restructure of services, these varied roles have allowed him to see many aspects of accounting.
Suraj is always focused on supporting effective, efficient and economical financial decision-making.
Last updated: 18 November 2025.
