Mental health leader joins Hertfordshire trust as chief nurse
Dr Emma Wadey has joined Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) as its new chief nursing officer.
Dr Wadey, who was appointed to the role in April, replaces Andy Brogan, who has been filling the post on an interim basis.
She is a mental health nurse with over 25 years’ experience, most recently at a national level in NHS England.
In her previous role, she was national deputy director of mental health nursing at NHS England, a post she held for four years from January 2020. Prior to that, she was a professional advisor to NHS Improvement.
Dr Wadey has held senior posts at trust level before, including as deputy director of nursing at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, chief nurse at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, and acting director of nursing at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Meanwhile, she has just been awarded a fellowship by the American Academy of Nursing. The academy has more than 3,000 fellows, who are leaders in policy, research, administration, practice and academia.
Dr Wadey is credited with being an advocate for supporting people with mental illness, learning disability and autism.
She brings with her a depth of experience developed through her career of delivering quality and safety improvements, noted the trust.
Her responsibilities at HPFT will include the professional leadership of the trust’s mental health and learning disability nursing staff, psychologists, allied health professionals and social workers.
In addition, she will have overall responsibility for safeguarding service users, as well as infection prevention and control.
Dr Wadey said: “I am excited to be joining HPFT and sharing my passion and commitment to providing great care to those with mental illness, learning disabilities and autism.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting staff, service users, carers, partners and stakeholders over the coming weeks.”
Karen Taylor, the trust’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Emma to the HPFT family and I’m looking forward to working with her.
“I know her determination and leadership will help us to achieve our ambitions to improve outcomes for the service users, carers and communities that we serve.”
