North West

For regular updates from the nursing and midwifery team in the north west, follow us on twitter. 

For any further information regarding the contents of this webpage please contact us via email.

Jean Hayles - Deputy Regional Head of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health

I started my nurse training aged 18 years and have never regretted this as a career choice. On qualification I started working at the Royal Halifax Infirmary (now part of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust) on the orthopaedic unit, initially as a staff nurse, and stayed there for the whole of my clinical career, until I was the ward manager of a newly formed Orthopaedic Trauma Unit.

Throughout my career, I have always had a passion to support others to achieve their potential, whatever that might be, and so I moved into an education role to try to make more of a difference. This was initially as a practice learning facilitator, ensuring that students and learners were supported to progress on programmes, to enable them to complete and emerge at the end of their programmes as confident and competent new registrants.

I then joined the University of Huddersfield as a lecturer practitioner and worked for the Open University as an associate lecturer supporting those in the first year of their nursing modules. While I enjoyed both roles, I didn’t feel that this was where my future lie, so when an opportunity arose for a more strategic role, I jumped at the opportunity.

I joined HEE in 2013, in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in an education commissioning role, then as a programme lead, leading on nursing programmes across the region. When the north region split into two I initially stayed in the north east and Yorkshire but then moved to the north west to take up the role of deputy regional head of nursing.

I am really proud that I was involved in a new nursing role, the nursing associate, from the very beginning, and have really enjoyed seeing the role become embedded as a key member of the nursing family. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to go to the House of Lords to join the celebration event for the first nursing associates to qualify and enter the nursing and midwifery register, and that I got nominated to join a royal garden party for my role in introducing and supporting the role in the north.

Michael McNamee - Workforce Lead (Nursing)

I joined HEE in October 2020 (during lockdown) but I have worked in the NHS since 2002 after studying at the University of Salford as a children and young people’s nurse. I have been incredibly lucky and privileged to work at Manchester Children’s hospital in a variety of roles from an oncology and haematology staff nurse to major trauma and clinical coordinator in A&E. I’ve also held positions as education development practitioner and then matron for education and development.

Prior to becoming a nurse, I studied in York and attained a Bachelors of Arts in Theology and History. Following this I worked in catering, retail, and leisure in London, Reading and Manchester.

I enjoy gardening, spending time with family and friends, I currently live outside Manchester city centre in a town where I was born.

Elizabeth Charnock - Workforce Lead (Nursing)

Following a clinical background as a registered adult and children and young people's nurse, specialising in children's cardiac intensive care, I was a lecturer in children and young people's nursing.  Prior to joining HEE I was Lead for Professional Education at a large NHS Foundation Trust.  I enjoy working with students believing that they are best placed, at the heart of caring for people and families, to make a real difference to the quality of care. 

Gabrielle Cocking - Workforce Lead (Midwifery)

I started my midwifery journey at The University of Manchester enjoying most of my placements at Tameside Hospital. After qualifying I moved back home to Huddersfield. I worked as a rotational midwife at Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust for most of my career, moving to Harrogate District Hospital and then Airedale General Hospital as a labour ward coordinator. My passion has always been intrapartum care - I don’t think you can beat the feeling of knowing you’ve helped support a family to have a safe and positive experience at such a precious time in their lives.

I have always enjoyed supporting learners, so I started teaching ad hoc at The University of Huddersfield in 2019 and I try to do this every 3 months, mainly clinical skills including cardiotocograph interpretation and newborn injections. Aside from caring for families as a midwife, teaching, positive culture, and leadership are my main passions, which is why I was so excited to join HEE in 2022. I love working with the future workforce and supporting them to advocate for positive cultures and to become role models for the learners they support when they qualify.

If I’m not with my family, you will find me on a netball court – I play four times a week for two teams in three leagues! My favourite thing to do if I am relaxing and at home is read, I’m a self-confessed book worm.

Anna Kostrubala - Project Manager Pre-Registration Nursing Attrition - Nursing and Midwifery Directorate

I joined the team as a project manager working on pre-registration nursing attrition to support with delivery of a government manifesto to have 50,000 more nurses in the NHS by March 2024. I enjoy working with education providers and students and being able to contribute to the growth of the future NHS workforce, as well as improving the training and education experience of future nursing and midwifery staff. Prior to this I have undertaken various non-clinical administrative roles across health and care organisations. In the last five years these have been solely in project management roles delivering programmes to transform and improve health care services for patients and their families, as well as implementing initiatives to support NHS staff mental health and wellbeing.

Terri Ashton - Programme Support Administrator

I joined the team in December 2021 as programme support administrator with the nursing and midwifery and public health teams. Before that I worked as a clerical officer at Stepping Hill Hospital for two years, and prior to that at Royal Bank of Scotland where I spent 13 years as part of the credit documentation department, before being made redundant in July 2019. 

I really enjoy working with the team to help support learners and the future workforce.

Our work spans a wide range of specialities, education and training programmes including midwifery, nursing (all fields of practice e.g., adult, mental health, children and young peoples nursing and learning disability nursing), prison nursing, community and specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN). 

Our priority workstreams include:

- Return to Practice (RtP)

- Pre-registration attrition

- Reducing pre-registration attrition, and improving retention (RePAIR)

- Trainee nursing associate pipeline (TNA)

- Undergraduate nursing expansion

- Postgraduate pre-registration expansion

The nursing and midwifery team also supports continuing professional development (CPD) investment, the expansion of educational placements for pre-registration students and the development of the nursing and midwifery workforce across both health and social care settings.

We are subject matter experts in areas of nursing and midwifery education. We can:

- Offer support and guidance on matters relating to nursing and midwifery education and training. 

- Advise on entry routes into nursing and midwifery, career pathways and development.

- Support returners to the profession.

- Facilitate collaboration, sharing and showcasing of ideas and practice development across the region to ensure quality learning experiences for students.

1. Student council: we will be working with members of our nursing and midwifery student council to identify the council structure, function, and priorities, and to develop its presence and impact.  We have a fabulous group of 60 nursing and midwifery students who have volunteered to be part of the council and we look forward to working with them.

2. Support for students: We have worked with the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) to adapt the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) for Mental Health programme to fit the context of supporting students. Training will be rolled out over the next few months in practice and university settings to promote and enable enhanced pastoral support to students. The universities taking part in this project are Liverpool John Moores University, The University of Bolton, The University of Cumbria and the University of Chester, as well as several practice placement providers across the north west.

3. Midwifery Safe Learning Environment Charter: our maternity and quality teams have been engaging student midwifes to share experiences of clinical practice and their understanding of what good looks like. This will inform the development of a Midwifery Safe Learning Environment Charter, which will set out and clarify the expectations, rights and responsibilities of both students and clinical placement providers to ensure a positive experience for all.  

This section will include any opportunities for students to get involved with in the north west.