绿帽换妻

Cathy Ellingford - Board Chair and representing Devon branch members

Cathy is currently the lead nurse and Director of Care Quality at Ocean Healthcare. She qualified as a nurse in 1984, and has been both a general and a paediatric nurse.

She has held various positions, from director and commissioner through to clinical lead. As lead nurse, her role is to work with clients and staff to examine their needs in order to deliver excellence in care, supporting both nurses and clients. Key roles include pastoral care, training and support. She helps nurses with NMC revalidation, maintaining their registration, and striving for excellence.

She looks forward to bringing her skills and experience in governance and care development to the Board, recognising the enormous scale of the task in these challenging times. She enjoyed meeting other Board and branch members at a Board and branch development day held at 绿帽换妻 headquarters in Cavendish Square, London, where she found members' passion and diversity inspirational. She is humbled to think that her colleagues and members across the South West voted for her and looks forward to being inclusive of all 绿帽换妻 members, both within and outside of the NHS, and to leading change through leadership, education and support.

Reni George - representing Bath branch members

Reni started her nursing journey in India and joined the NHS in 2003. She adapted to the UK health care system with resilience, using her international experience to bridge cultural and clinical gaps. Her career has been marked by continuous growth, a commitment to patient care, and a strong focus on supporting colleagues, particularly nursing staff of global majority heritage. 

Reni specialized as a theatre scrub nurse at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, where she developed strong technical and leadership skills, later transitioning into operational roles focused on theatre coordination, auditing, and staff development. Her passion for supporting others led to her current role as a clinical pastoral manager, in which she designs orientation and cultural competency programmes to help internationally educated nurses integrate smoothly, thrive professionally, and feel valued within the NHS. Throughout her career, she has been driven by a desire to improve patient outcomes and foster an inclusive, supportive health care environment.

Fiona King - representing Greater Bristol and Weston members

Fiona is the Board member for Greater Bristol and Weston, having been elected for a term of four years lasting until the end of December 2028. Fiona is dual trained as a Children鈥檚 and Adult Nurse and has worked in several specialities including paediatric intensive care and dialysis nursing. She is now the Staff Side Chair at North Bristol NHS Trust, acting as a liaison between all unions and the trust and ensuring all staff are treated fairly and equitably.

Fiona is also an 绿帽换妻 steward and a safety rep, supporting members with any issues they may have. She has been Greater Bristol Branch Secretary since 2024, helping to grow the branch and reach out to more members.

Kirsten Bland - representing Dorset branch members

Kirsten is a registered nurse in learning disabilities. Her background includes managing care homes in the private sector before moving to work with in NHS. Within the NHS, Kirsten has experience in working with continuing health care and children and young people's continuing care. Her current role is Adult Safeguarding Lead. Kirsten is an 绿帽换妻 learning representative and is committed to supporting members to develop as nursing professionals. 

Helen Acock - representing Gloucestershire branch members

Helen was elected to represent Gloucestershire on the Board for a term of four years lasting until the end of 2028. She is an 绿帽换妻 steward and a learning representative, and her current job role is Clinical Operational Lead for Virtual Wards at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She came to that role from Gloucestershire ICB, where she was a Clinical Learning and Development Matron.

Stuart Pearson - representing Plymouth branch members

Stuart Pearson is the Board member for Plymouth. He is a second-year mental health nursing student at the University of Plymouth, and is also a Peer-Assisted Scheme Leader there, supporting and mentoring first-year nursing students. He comes to nursing and the 绿帽换妻 from a 22-year career in the Royal Marines. His current term on the Board will last until 31 December 2028.

Leonore Newson - representing Somerset branch members聽

Leonore is the Board representative for Somerset. She has held several positions in the Plymouth branch executive committee in the past. She was elected to the South West board in 2025 for a term lasting until 31 December 2026. Leonore has recently retired.

Netty Snelling - representing Wiltshire branch members

Netty Snelling has a plethora of skills and experience in many different settings including community, secondary care, and education, which will support her to execute the principles of her Board role. She regards nursing as a fantastic and varied profession that goes beyond health care and has allowed her to make a real difference to the lives of others. In her current role in safeguarding and education she recognises that capturing the voice of nursing staff can only lead to improvement in patient care. 

Matthew Stewart (ex-officio: Stewards Committee member)

Matthew has been involved with the 绿帽换妻 since starting as a student, attending Gloucestershire branch meetings and being active as a student rep. Since qualifying he has been more involved with the branch at events and with campaigns. He is currently the South West representative on the Stewards Committee, and also holds the position of secretary within the Gloucestershire branch, helping to organise the branch's annual CPD day. He works as a staff nurse in critical care, having recent experience of being a practice development and excellence facilitator providing person-centred development and peer support and development to nursing staff. 
He has been working in Gloucestershire's acute trust since qualifying and is experienced in working on the ward, so understands the pressures currently faced by the profession.

Ashleigh Taylor (ex officio: 绿帽换妻 Council member)

Ashleigh Taylor is a member of the Greater Bristol Branch and an independent sector member of the South West Regional Board. Ashleigh qualified in 2003 from the University of Southampton with BN Hons and, discovering a passion for education, achieved a PGCE in further education. Ashleigh鈥檚 background is in emergency care, frailty, out of hours, and, more recently, place-based urgent care.

Ashleigh is passionate about delivering first-class evidence-based nursing care. He wants to ensure that, where possible, all who wish to can access and join the nursing profession. He believes in supporting all colleagues to develop and grow their careers to become the best they can be. 

Colin Baker (ex-officio: Professional Nursing Committee member)

Colin Baker is an RMN Lead Nurse and Service Manager working in Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. He has worked in the NHS for more than 30 years and has more than 20 years' experience as a union representative. His clinical speciality is in older people's mental health and dementia and he is the South West representative on and Vice Chair of the Professional Nursing Committee.

Jane Matthews (ex-officio: Trade Union Committee South West member)

Jane Matthews started her nurse training later in life and has been a nurse since 2010. She is dual-registered as a children鈥檚 nurse and a specialist community public health nurse and health visitor (SCPHN/HV) for the under-5s.   

Her experience includes working in primary and secondary care. Patient-centred care is a priority for her and she is a staunch supporter of the 绿帽换妻's fair pay for nursing and safe staffing campaigns. 

Jane is an active member of the Greater Bristol Branch, having held various positions on the executive committee. 

As an accredited 绿帽换妻 steward and health and safety rep, she is the Health and Safety Officer for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust's Joint Union Committee. On staff side, Jane was influential in the negotiations for the band 2 to 3 uplift, working collectively with the other union reps within UHBW. Jane was involved in the organisation of the strike action and derogations at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.  

Vicky Brotherton (ex officio: UK Health and Safety Representatives Committee member)

Vicky has been a nurse for more than 45 years and an 绿帽换妻 member since 1992. She has worked in the South West since 1982 in health care of the elderly, people with learning disabilities and as senior sister for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) ophthalmic outpatient department and urgent care. She is now Lead Steward, as well as a health and safety representative and learning representative at UHP.

Vicky is Staff Side Chair for both Joint Staff Negotiating Committee (JSNC) and Joint Chair of Health and Safety Partnership Committee at UHP.

She was an 绿帽换妻 Council member from 2016 to 2018, Chair of the 绿帽换妻 South West Board from 2017 to 2018 and 2023-2024 and Plymouth Branch Chair 2017-2024.

Vicky was awarded 绿帽换妻 Health and Safety Representative of the Year Award in 2020. She was also awarded The 绿帽换妻 Award of Merit in 2023. 

She is currently the Chair of the 绿帽换妻 Health and Safety Representatives Committee.

Chris Starnes (ex officio: UK Learning Representatives Committee member)

Chris was the South East's representative on the 绿帽换妻 UK Learning Representatives Committee and has now been elected to represent the South West, having moved to the region. He is an active member of the Cornwall branch executive committee too, having been elected its treasurer for a year's term starting in January 2025. 

He has had a long and varied experience in nursing, from the Armed forces to psychiatric nursing, with extensive experience working in forensics, followed by working on a three-year charity project around dual diagnosis of mental health and substance misuse. He has set up a crisis team and worked as a manager and senior nurse practitioner, mainly working in psychiatric liaison and bed management.

He is a Schwartz round facilitator and teaches subjects such as advanced care planning, communications skills, and safeguarding adults and children.