Executive directors

Appointed: May 2011 

Appointed Deputy Chief Executive: December 2021

Rachael joined the NHS in 1987 and has worked in a variety of national, regional and local roles over the years including at the Department of Health and two former Strategic Health Authorities before joining the Trust in 2011. Rachael has a substantive track record of delivery in transition and transformation and a wealth of experience in both workforce strategy and organisational development. Rachael chairs the NHS Employers Medical and Dental Workforce Forum and is a member of the NHS Employers Policy Board

She is passionate about East Cheshire NHS Trust being a brilliant place to work and a place for people to develop their careers alongside creating a working environment that enables the trust to deliver the outstanding healthcare our patients deserve. Rachael leads the Trust People and Communications Directorate.

Executive Lead: The Trust’s people management strategy, including: education and learning, organisational development, staff wellbeing, inclusion and engagement. People Committee, Remuneration and Nomination Committee and Partnership Forum, Trust Communications and Engagement.

Member of: Trust Board, Finance, Performance and Workforce, Local Negotiating Committee and Clinical Leadership Board.  Cheshire and Merseyside Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Community Provider Collaborative

Trustee of: East Cheshire NHS Charity Committee.

Other interests: Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors and CQC Executive Reviewer. Governor Macclesfield College

Qualifications: Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors and CQC Executive Reviewer. Governor Macclesfield College Qualifications: BA (Hons) Education and Nursing, MA Health Services and Management, both from the University of Manchester.

Appointed: Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development May 2011. Title changed to Director of People and Culture May 2021

Appointed: January 2025

Laura joined the Trust in 2025. Laura has 16 years of experience working within the NHS and joined the Trust from the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where she was the Deputy Director of Governance & Risk.

Laura’s role is to lead and to continuously improve corporate governance arrangements and to provide strategic advice and guidance to the Trust Board, Chair, Chief Executive, Executive and Non-Executive Directors on all matters relating to governance. This includes the role of the Board Trust Secretary which is a key coordination role within the Trust. Laura is the Trusts Senior Information Risk Owner and Executive Lead for Freedom to Speak Up.

She leads on Trust corporate governance and is the Trusts Senior Information Risk Owner.

Executive Lead: Senior Information Risk Owner and Freedom to Speak Up.

Chair of: Information Governance and Records Management Group.

Member of: Trust Board, Finance, Performance and Productivity Committee, People Committee, Safety and Quality Standards Committee, Clinical Leadership Board.

Trustee of: East Cheshire NHS Charity Committee.

Other interests: NW Trust Secretaries Network, CMAST Company Secretaries Forum, Cheshire Company Secretaries Network.

Qualifications: Diploma – Governance & Risk Management (University of Chester), Diploma - Health Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (Loughborough University), Effective Company Secretary (Corporate Governance Institute).

Appointed: May 2015

John joined the Trust in September 2000 as a consultant in anaesthetics with a special interest in critical care and was appointed as Interim Medical Director in November 2014, before being appointed to the role permanently in May 2015.

John is leading the development of the Trust’s Strategic Clinical Plan and is building collaborative partnerships with clinical leads in primary, community and secondary care settings, supporting and developing new models of care.

Executive Lead: Organ Donation, Mortality, Research, Clinical Governance, End of Life, Medicines Management, Medical Devices. Fire, Health and Safety.

Chair: Human Tissue Authority Governance Sub-committee, Mortality Governance Sub- Committee, Mortality Improvement Group, Patient Safety Incident Oversight Sub- Committee and Executive Check and Review Panel.

Member of: Trust Board, Finance, Performance and Workforce Committee, Safety and Quality Standards Committee, Clinical Leadership Board, Organ Donation, Patient Safety Incident Oversight Sub-Committee and Local Negotiating Committee, Pathology Collaborative.

Trustee of: East Cheshire NHS Charity Committee.

Other Interests: Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Member of Intensive Care Society.

Appointed: August 2022

Kara joined the Trust in November 2009 and became the Interim Deputy Director of Finance in May 2017. She was appointed Deputy Director of Finance in December 2017 before taking up the role of Interim Director of Finance, Planning and Estates in December 2021 and being appointed substantively in August 2022.

Prior to this, she held a number of senior finance positions within the private and public sectors.

Executive Lead: Operational Planning, estates development and investment, procurement plan, informatics, audit.

Chair: Productivity and Innovation Board, Capital and Space Planning Group, Data Quality Assurance Group.

Member of: Trust Board, Finance, Performance and Productivity Committee, Local Negotiating Committee and Partnership Forum.

Trustee and Member of: East Cheshire NHS Charity Committee.

Other interests: Kara chairs the National Level Three Accounts Assistant Apprenticeship Standards Group and is passionate about supporting education and development. In 2024 Kara has been appointed as the Chair of the North West Finance Skills Development Steering Group. Kara continually seeks ways to develop teams and individuals to be their best to support good patient care.

Qualifications: Masters in Business Administration, Manchester Metropolitan University, ACMA (Association Chartered Management Accountants).

Appointed: July 2021

Kate has over 26 years’ experience as a registered nurse and began her career in 1997 as an Emergency Department nurse before becoming a Matron in 2007. Kate has undertaken a variety of senior nursing roles at both Salford Royal and Royal Bolton Hospitals before becoming Deputy Director of Nursing at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2016.

In 2020 Kate was seconded to NHS England in Cheshire and Merseyside in a commissioning role leading on the Learning Disabilities and Autism programme.

Executive Lead: Safeguarding, Infection, Prevention and Control, Patient Experience, Quality and Board Level Maternity Safety Champion.

Chair: Quality and Safety Forum, Safeguarding Sub Committee and Infection, Prevention and Control Sub Committee

Member of: Trust Board, Finance, Performance and Productivity Committee, Safety and Quality Standards Committee, People Committee, Partnership Forum, Patient Safety Incident Oversight Sub-Committee.

Trustee of: East Cheshire NHS Charity Committee.

Other interests: Kate is passionate about supporting and developing the workforce, improving patient experience through service development and co-production and about using quality improvement methodology to support staff learning and to improve outcomes for patients.

Qualifications: Registered General Nursing, BSc in Nursing, MSc in Leadership in Health and Social Care.