Nursing Times leaders list: NHS boards in Wales

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.

NHS Wales delivers services through seven local health boards and three NHS trusts, including Public Health Wales.

There are also two other bodies – Digital Health and Care Wales, and NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – but neither currently has executive nurse roles.

To the best of our knowledge, this list is correct as of May 2024.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Executive director of nursing: Jennifer Winslade

Profile: Jennifer Winslade has been in post as executive director of nursing since August 2022. She was previously executive director of nursing and governance at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and before that director of nursing for Devon Primary Care Trust and subsequently New Devon Clinical Commissioning Group. She qualified as a nurse in 1991, initially working in acute and intensive care services.

• Preceded by Rhiannon Jones (retired)

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Executive director nursing and midwifery: Angela Wood

Profile: Angela Wood joined the board in August 2022 as executive director of nursing and midwifery. She was previously director of nursing, quality and leadership at NHS England and NHS Improvement for the North East and Yorkshire. She has also held senior roles at Rotherham Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, including as chief nurse of the former. Prior to this, she was deputy director of nursing at the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust between 2013 and 2017.

• Preceded by Gaynor Thomason (interim) and Gill Harris

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Executive nurse director: Jason Roberts

Profile: Jason Roberts was appointed as executive nurse director of Cardiff and Vale in July 2022. He was interim executive nurse director from May that year and was previously deputy executive nurse director, having held the latter post since 2018. He joined Cardiff and Vale in 2016 as director of nursing for medicine clinical board. He has over 30 years of nursing experience since registering as an adult nurse in 1993.

• Preceded by Ruth Walker (retired)

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Executive director of nursing, midwifery and patient care: Gregory Padmore-Dix

Profile: Greg Padmore-Dix joined Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board on 1 April 2019 from University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust, where he had been chief nurse since February 2013. He began his nurse training in Cardiff in 1988 before moving to nursing roles in New Zealand. He was the recipient of the Chief Nursing Officers’ Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2023 Nursing Times Awards.

• Preceded by Lynda Williams

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Interim Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Care: Sharon Daniel

Profile: Sharon Daniel has been interim director of nursing, quality and patient care at Hywel Dda since December 2023. Prior to that she was the health board’s assistant director of nursing for workforce professional standards, having taken up the role in September 2018.

• Preceded by Mandy Rayani (retired)

Powys Teaching Health Board

Executive director of nursing, quality, women and family health: Claire Roche

Profile: Claire Roche was appointed to the post of executive director nursing and midwifery for Powys in March 2022. Prior to that she was executive director of quality and nursing at the Welsh Ambulances Services NHS Trust, a role she had held since January 2020.

• Preceded by Alison Davies

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Executive director of nursing and patient experience: Gareth Howells

Profile: Gareth Howells has been in post at Swansea Bay since September 2021. Prior to that he spent around six months as interim chief nursing officer for Wales. It is his second stint as executive director of nursing at Swansea Bay, having previously held the role from July 2018 to August 2020. He has also been executive director of nursing at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and chief nurse of Birmingham South Central Clinical Commissioning Group.

• Preceded by Christine Williams

Velindre University NHS Trust

Executive director of nursing, allied health professionals and health science: Nicola Williams

Profile: Nicola Williams commenced her appointment with the trust on the 26 August 2019.

• Preceded by Jayne Elias (interim) and Professor Sue Morgan (retired)

Welsh Ambulances Services NHS Trust

Executive director of quality and nursing: Liam Williams

Profile: Liam Williams joined the trust in August 2022 from NHS South, Central and West, where he was director of quality and system performance. Prior to that he was chief nursing officer at North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, director of commissioning operations at Merton Clinical Commissioning Group and executive director of nursing at Great Western Ambulance Service.

• Preceded by Wendy Herbert (interim) and Claire Roche

Public Health Wales

Interim executive director of quality, nursing and allied health professionals: Claire Birchall

Profile: Claire Birchall joined Public Health Wales as acting director of quality, nursing and allied health professionals for 12 months from 25 September 2023. She joined Public Health Wales from the NHS Executive where she led the National Wales Cancer Network and, prior to the establishment of the NHS Executive, was also the professional lead nurse for the NHS Collaborative.

• Preceded by Angela Cook (interim) and Rhiannon Beaumont-Wood

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)

Director of nurse and health professional education: Lisa Llewelyn

Profile: Lisa Llewelyn took up the post of director of nurse and health professional education on 1 June 2021. Prior to joining HEIW, she was director of workforce for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System from 2019. She is a registered nurse, midwife and health visitor, and has worked in the NHS for over 40 years.