Our Board

Linda Pollard OBE JP DL - Chairman

Linda was appointed Chairman of NHS Leeds on 1 March 2009. Linda holds roles as Deputy Chairman of Yorkshire Forward (Regional Development Agency), Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the University of Leeds, Regional Chairman of Coutts Bank plc and Board member of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). Linda is also Chair of An Inspirational Journey, an organisation which seeks to increase participation of women on Boards, and the Two Percent Club for Yorkshire. Until February 2011, Linda was on the Board of Welcome to Yorkshire. 

Whilst Linda's business career was as a private sector entrepreneur, she has held posts as a former Chairman of the West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority, Bradford District Care Trust, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Trust and Regional Chairman of the Learning and Skills Council.

Linda is a non sitting magistrate and also a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and in 2004, she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the community. Linda fulfils three key roles: as guardian, steward and ambassador for NHS Leeds. She works with the Board to set the strategic direction ensuring strong decision making and governance processes are in place. Linda also monitors operational development to ensure the organisation is accountable to the public, builds strategic partnerships and that NHS Leeds continues to build public confidence and trust in the local NHS.

John Lawlor - Chief Executive

John Lawlor has a varied background, having graduated with a degree in mathematics. He has worked as a secondary school teacher in South Yorkshire in the 1980s before joining the Civil Service as a statistician in the Department of Employment and then the Department of Health. His NHS knowledge developed from work in the NHS Executive headquarters where he led on GP fund holding, and subsequently as head of the NHS performance branch. John was appointed as Director of Service Development at the acute trust in Calderdale and Huddersfield in 1999 where he worked until 2005. He was appointed Chief Executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust in 2006. From June to December 2009, he was seconded to the Department of Health as the Chief Operating Officer for the NHS Flu Resilience Directorate.

John started as the Chief Executive of NHS Leeds on 11 January 2010. From 31 January 2011, he also took up the role of Director of Provider Development for NHS Yorkshire and the Humber on a part time basis. 

Dr Simon Stockill - Clinical Chair (Leeds)

Dr Simon Stockill is a GP in Headingley. He grew up in Yorkshire before studying medicine at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London. After qualifying as a GP and before moving back up north, he worked as a lecturer in general practice at Imperial College London and served on the board of Westminster Primary Care Trust. He has a post-graduate degree in public health from the University of York and has co-authored an award winning book on medical careers. His main clinical interests include emergency care, sexual health, and children and young peoples’ medicine.

Dr Ian Cameron - Joint Director of Public Health (Leeds)

Ian qualified as a doctor at Liverpool University, subsequently moving into the field of public health.  Ian held the post of Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Leeds Health Authority for 10 years before becoming Director of Public Health at Leeds North West Primary Care Trust. Ian has worked at a regional and national level and his work has been published extensively. Ian was recently appointed Joint Director of Public Health for NHS Leeds and Leeds City Council on 1 November 2010.

Philomena Corrigan - Delivery and Service Transformation

Phil started her nursing career in 1982 in Bradford and worked in intensive care, surgical services and older peoples services in Leeds. She then moved into a research, audit and educational role, co-writing two books on improving the quality of care in the NHS. She was Deputy Director of Nursing at the acute trust in Doncaster for four years, where she led on improving standards of care in general medical wards and developing clinical indicators across a range of ward environments. Phil became an independent consultant for two years, undertaking service redesign projects in mental health and primary care in Ireland, Gibraltar and the UK. She was Director of Nursing in an acute trust, and then moved to Bradford South and West PCT before joining Leeds PCT in 2006. Phil intends to ensure that patient services in Leeds are first class and deliver the best outcomes for those who use them.

June Goodson-Moore - Corporate Development

June has over 20 years' experience at director level, primarily in human resources (HR) at a number of NHS organisations in West Yorkshire. She was previously Deputy Chief Executive of Bradford District Care Trust with responsibilities for HR, staff development, modernisation, communications, public relations and Board support. June is a Partner Governor of Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Kevin Howells - Finance

A member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Kevin joined the NHS in 1993 as Director of Finance of the West Lindsey NHS Trust from the Audit Commission. Kevin has held senior management posts at Acute Trusts and Health Authorities, developing plans for both service and financial recovery.

Dr Damian Riley - Medical Director 

Damian has been a doctor for over 20 years, and has worked as a GP in Leeds since 2004. He is also the Executive Director of Primary Care for NHS Leeds and oversees the commissioning of all GPs, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists for NHS Leeds. In the past, Damian has worked for South Leeds PCT and North East Leeds PCT. He also works as a Trainer and Clinical Assessor for the National Patient Safety Agency.

Jo Coombs – Quality and Nursing

Jo qualified as a general adult nurse in Leeds in 1985 and a district nurse in 1992. She has worked in a range of care settings across acute care and primary care prior to moving into management and leadership roles. Jo has held a director of nursing position in PCTs for around eight years, initially with responsibility for provider services but then moving to a commissioning role, leading on areas such as intermediate care, end of life care, quality, safety and safeguarding. Jo is an IML qualified coach and mentor and has also been a nurse advisor for the Department of Health. She is a keen advocate for meaningful clinical engagement and improving the patient’s experience of care.

Dr Anita Parkin - Joint Director of Public Health (Bradford and Airedale)

Anita Parkin is a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health; she joined the NHS in 1992 from the academic world. She has worked in public health in several parts of the country: Derbyshire, Doncaster, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire and came to Bradford in 2007 as director of public health for the PCT and the council from Medway where she had been one of the early joint appointments of directors of public health in 2003.

Matt Neligan - Commissioning Development

Matt was previously Acting Chief Executive of NHS Bradford and Airedale, having previously held the positions of Director of Strategy and Director of Commissioning. He joined NHS Bradford and Airedale in 2007 from his previous role as Director of Contracting across three PCTs in Buckinghamshire. Since joining the NHS in 1996 he has worked in a wide variety of functions across the NHS, including leading on performance management and acute services commissioning at Wycombe PCT, several operational management positions in the acute hospital sector at St Mary’s Hospital NHS Trust, and working on clinical audit in Primary Care with GPs in Camden and Islington.

Matt’s role is primarily concerned with the design and development of future commissioning systems. The main focus is on ensuring that successful Clinical Commissioning Groups are established to take on commissioning from 2013, and ensuring that other elements of the reforms are implemented, including arrangements for Health and Wellbeing Boards, prison and military healthcare, and commissioning of specialist services. He holds the corporate lead on strategic planning.

Dr Chris Harris - Clinical Chair (Bradford and Airedale)

Dr Chris Harris has worked in Bradford for 24 years and has been a partner at The Ridge Medical Practice since 1993.

Throughout his career he has held several posts within the PCT – CHD Lead, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Lead and Long Term Conditions Clinical Lead. He was Chair of Bradford and Airedale GP Commissioning Executive and is currently Chair of Bradford South & West Commissioning Alliance.

He has extensive experience in clinical leadership and engagement and has a real enthusiasm to develop better integrated services for patients across health and social care and primary and secondary care.

Cathy Clelland

Cathy Clelland brings a wealth of finance and business experience to the board, having worked in a variety of senior management roles for some of Yorkshire’s best known companies.

An accountant by background, Cathy started her career with the construction company Tilcon, then moved to Yorkshire Tyne Tees Television in 1984 where she progressed from senior management accountant to finance director of Facilities Division, the programme making arm of the company, at a particularly challenging time. She then joined Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBIA) as finance and commercial director in 1994. Cathy played a pivotal role in the successful development of LBIA as a vibrant regional airport both in public and private ownership. 

At present, Cathy is chair of West North West (WNW) Homes Ltd, an arms-length social housing organisation in Leeds responsible for 22,000 homes. She is also finance director of Canny Consultants Ltd based in York.>

Married to Jim, Cathy has two married stepsons and most recently two grandsons; she lives near Tadcaster.

Neil Franklin

Neil worked as a solicitor in private practice until he joined West Yorkshire Prosecuting Solicitors' Department and was appointed to the post of Chief Crown Prosecutor for West Yorkshire from 1999 until April 2011. Neil was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2006.

Barry Fulton

Formerly from South Yorkshire but having lived in Leeds for many years, Barry is a qualified accountant whose career developed into senior management.  Barry has worked for the Healthcare Commission carrying out Trust clinical governance reviews and was also a Non Executive Director of Leeds North West PCT. As part of his Non Executive Director role, Barry is Chair of the Involving People Panel (an advisory body of NHS Leeds). 

Brian Marsden

Brian is a chartered public accountant by profession who joined the NHS in 1983 as Deputy Director of Finance in Coventry, becoming Director in 1986. From 1992-1996 he was Deputy to the National Director of Finance and Performance for the NHS Executive in England.

Brian was then involved in a series of consultancy projects on behalf of a number of Health Authorities, NHS Trusts and Primary Care Groups in England.  He was a member of Leeds Health Authority Board from 2000 to April 2002 when he took the role of Chair of Leeds North East Primary Care Trust. He has been Audit Committee Chair at NHS Leeds since October 2006. Brian has recently taken up the role of Stakeholder Governor at Harrogate and District Foundation Trust on behalf of NHS Leeds.

Peter Myers

Peter Myers is Chief Executive of Beverley Building Society, a Non Executive Director of Finance Yorkshire Ltd and a Trustee of Leap Confronting Conflict. He is also an Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, responsible for running the cadet force. His squadron is based near Harehills in Leeds and recruits from a cross section of areas which include some of the most deprived areas in Leeds. Peter was previously Chief Executive of the West Yorkshire Tourist Partnership and a Non Executive Director of Vocalink Ltd.

Shafiq Ahmed

Shafiq Ahmed was born in Pakistan and came to the UK in 1973. After 16 years at Grattan, he joined Bradford Council, where he worked as the economic regeneration manager for Manningham, Girlington, Haworth Road and Holmewood, managing the deployment of European and neighbourhood renewal funds. Shafiq is currently the centre manager for the Farnham Road Children’s Centre.

A keen cricketer, Shafiq lives in Horton Grange with his wife, their three sons and daughter.  For over 10 years he has worked in a voluntary capacity to improve the quality of life of the people living within the Horton Grange area. During this time he has gained experience of mobilising community engagement and was instrumental in the process of setting of up a local community regeneration partnership. He is currently the chair of the partnership. 

He has served on the Bradford Community Health Council, CHAS Housing Aid Bradford, governing body at Farnham Primary School and was an adviser to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) for three years on their Bradford programme supporting research and development work by the JRF relating to social issues in Bradford.

David Munt

David Munt lives in Eldwick. David, now retired, was group treasurer at Bradford & Bingley Building Society for 21 years and previously worked as a technical accountant for West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.