Experts join Evelina London Women's and Children's Clinical Group Board as advisors

Four individuals have joined Evelina London Women's and Children's Clinical Group Board as non-executive advisors.

The newly appointed non-executive advisors are:

• Professor Meriel Jenney
• Professor Tim Barrett
• Professor Dame Lesley Regan
• Kate Denham

These new non-executive advisors bring substantial experience in cancer services, clinical research and women's services or championing patient experience. They will each serve on the Clinical Group Board for a period of 3 years.

While the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Board holds legal accountability for the Trust, our Clinical Group Board provides essential strategic advice to Evelina London Women's and Children's Clinical Group. Meeting 4 times per year, members of the Clinical Group Board provide expert advice, strategic perspective and independent challenge to the executive team running the Trust's children’s services, maternity services, gynaecology services and assisted conception unit. They also help ensure that the experience of our patients and families remains central to our decision making.

The Clinical Group Board, which is chaired by Professor Deirdre Kelly, is attended by the Clinical Group's CEO and her immediate team, executive and non-executive members of the Trust Board, and the non-executive advisors.

Professor Deirdre Kelly, chair of the Evelina London Women's and Children's Clinical Group Board and a non-executive director of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Board said: "I'd like to give a warm welcome to our new non-executive advisors, who are joining the Clinical Group Board at a very important time for our women's and children's services.

We are delighted that they put themselves forward to support us in our ambitious strategy for our women's and children’s services and we have no doubt that we will benefit from their expert advice and widely varied and extremely relevant expertise.

You can read further details on the 4 new non-executive advisors below:

• Professor Meriel Jenney has over 30 years' experience as a consultant paediatric oncologist. Her main research interests are in rhabdomyosarcoma, the assessment of quality of life of children with cancer and the late effects of treatment for children with cancer and she has co-authored over 50 publications. She retired from her role as Executive Medical Director for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in March 2024 and was a Trustee of Clic Sargent (now Young Lives v Cancer) for over 12 years. Meriel continues to support the development of paediatric oncology services in Sierra Leone.
• Professor Tim Barrett is a children's doctor specialising in hormones and diabetes, professor of paediatrics at the University of Birmingham, an NIHR Senior Investigator and research director for NHS England Central and South Genome Medicine Service. Tim brings a wealth of clinical academic experience. He has been involved in the establishment of specialist services, served on a number of advisory and guideline committees and written chapters in 9 books. His main research focus has been in clinical trials in rare diseases and addressing health inequalities in children with diabetes.
• Professor Dame Lesley Regan has a 40-year career as an obstetrician, gynaecologist and advocate for the pivotal importance of women's health in our society. She has combined her front-line clinical roles with several influential leadership roles. These include being President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Honorary Secretary of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, chairing the Wellbeing of Women charity and serving as a non-executive director for NHS Resolution to advise on maternity improvement. She also co-chaired the Department of Health and Social Care's Women's Health Taskforce between 2018 and 2020. She became the first Women's Health Ambassador for England in June 2022 to help implement the Women's Health Strategy nationally.
• Kate Denham is an experienced non-executive and service user advocate. She is a Non-Executive Director for the Coal Authority, and for Transport Focus, focusing on the passenger experience. She is also a member of the Office of Rail and Road Consumer Expert Panel and a trustee for Coeliac UK.  She was previously a board member for an organisation supporting individuals with complex mental health needs, a nurse-led social enterprise delivering NHS services in east London, and Healthwatch - championing patient experience at local level. Alongside her board roles, Kate works across health and non-profit organisations on strategy and transformation projects. Kate's 2 children were born at St Thomas' Hospital and one continues as an Evelina London patient.