Nursing Times leaders list: HSC trusts in Northern Ireland
Nursing Times has created the following list of nurse leaders in post at NHS provider organisations, including regional health and social care trusts, across Northern Ireland.
We have created the list in recognition that knowing ‘who is who’ is a valuable resource for nursing and midwifery staff around the country.
The list covers nurse leaders at organisations providing services in a range of settings, such as acute, community, mental health, learning disability and specialist trusts, as well as combinations.
The NHS in Northern Ireland delivers services through six health and social care trusts, though we have not included information on the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for our purposes.
To the best of our knowledge, this list is correct as of May 2024.
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Director of nursing, user experience and allied health professionals: Brenda Creaney
Profile: Brenda Creaney has been director of nursing and user experience at the trust since January 2010. She was previously co director for child health at the trust, having been appointed in 2007. She trained as an adult nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital from 1984, before moving to London in 1989, where trained as a children’s nurse at the Westminster Children’s Hospital.
- Preceded by Nikki Patterson and Valerie Jackson
Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Executive director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals: Suzanne Pullins
Profile: Suzanne Pullins was appointed as the executive director of nursing, including responsibility for professional leadership and governance of midwifery and allied health professionals, and user experience on 16 July 2021. She is also divisional director paediatrics, women’s services and corporate support. She was previously interim director of nursing and user experience, from September 2020, and before that assistant director of nursing safety, quality and user experience, and deputy director of nursing, from December 2015. She started her career as a registered general nurse in 1987.
- Preceded by Eileen McEneaney
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Executive director of nursing and midwifery: David Robinson
Profile: David Robinson took on the role of executive director of nursing and midwifery in April 2023. He is also director of allied health professionals and user experience, and latterly deputy chief executive. He first joined the trust in February 2017 as assistant director of woman and acute child health. He was appointed as director of hospital services in July 2019. He is a registered nurse with over 20 years’ experience.
- Preceded by Nicki Patterson
Southern Health and Social Care Trust
Executive director of nursing, midwifery, AHPs and support services: Heather Trouton
Profile: Heather Trouton was appointed executive director of nursing, midwifery and AHPs in January 2018. She was also made deputy chief executive in June 2023. She has worked in the trust as a nurse in a variety of roles since 1996. In 2009, she took up post as assistant director for surgery and elective care in acute services, leading in the provision of surgical services across the trust for seven years. In 2016, she became assistant director for integrated maternity and women’s health and cancer and clinical services.
Western Health and Social Care Trust
Executive director of nursing, midwifery and AHP services: Donna Keenan
Profile: Donna Keenan took up the post of interim executive director of nursing, and also director of primary care and older people’s services, at the trust in December 2021. She was named RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year in 2010 while a cardiology nurse at Tyrone County Hospital.
