Ann Highton, MSc
Managing Director, Healthcare Compliance Ltd
Email: ann@healthcompliance.co.uk
Having originally trained as a physiotherapist, Ann moved into governance and risk management with a diploma in Healthcare Risk Management, an Advanced Certificate in NHS Governance and a MSc in Management. She now holds several prestigious consultancy positions including Governance Lead at an Integrated Care System; and has worked on strategic projects including undertaking a board level governance review for a large acute NHS Foundation Trust, and a senior management governance review for an Academic Health Science Network (AHSN). Ann is also a specialist advisor for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and has supported several NHS Trusts with CQC inspection preparation. She is an Associate for Radar Healthcare (quality and compliance software) and also Mersey Internal Audit Agency.
With experience of working with NHS Trusts to regulatory bodies, Ann has a unique 360° view of the healthcare system with an ability to identify challenge and implement change whilst maintaining a focus on quality and patient safety.
Gillian Conway, MA (Cantab), MBA
Managing Director, Conway Bloomfield Ltd
Email: gilly@conwaybloomfield.co.uk
Gilly started her career as a Research Fellow with the University of Wales and has gone on to develop a particularly broad skill-set and management experience spanning 20 years within private and public sector organisations. This has included marketing, market research, policy and strategy roles as well as the leadership of corporate planning, performance, risk management and research & intelligence functions.
Over the past six years Gilly has specialised in providing consultancy services predominantly for public sector and not-for-profits, helping organisations evaluate and improve their ways of working. This has included assignments with the Civil Nuclear Police, Police and Crime Commissioners, CCGs, NHS Trusts, Academy Trusts and Charities. She is an Associate of NHS Providers, delivering risk management training as part of their Board Development Programme. She also dedicates time to volunteering and holds the Board level position of Vice Chair at Citizens Advice Cheshire West.
Professor Naomi Chambers
Professor of Healthcare Management, University of Manchester
Naomi is currently co-director of Leadership & Management in the Higher Specialist Healthcare Scientist Training (HSST) Programme. Previous teaching roles have included programme director for the Nye Bevan executive programme for aspiring NHS board directors, university lead for NHS Leadership Academy programmes, and Director of Executive Education. Outward facing roles have included President of the European Health Management Association and vice chair of NHS North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.
Two recent research projects have involved leading a team investigating changes in board level leadership in hospitals in England following the publication of the Francis Report into the failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Hospital Foundation Trust (completed 2018) and the evaluation of the content, applications and impacts of the NHS well-led framework on behalf of CQC and NHSI (completed 2020). Current projects include research for a book on organising care round patients to be published by Manchester University Press, a study on long serving NHS CEOs on what makes them tick and what keeps them going, and women’s experiences of urogynaecology services.
Drawing from her research, teaching and advisory experience, Naomi has an ongoing working relationship with a number of NHS boards and senior leadership teams supporting them to develop to meet the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s health and care systems. She is also in close collaborative contact with colleagues working in national regulatory and oversight bodies in the NHS, and with independent policy organisations such as the Kings Fund, Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation.