Vice-Chancellor's Health Advisory Group
Professor John Latham CBE
Vice-Chancellor and CEO
John is Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the Coventry University Group.
He is a double graduate of the University and has a background in information technology and telecommunications. Previously he worked for a number of private sector organisations including JHP Group, Jaguar Cars and BT (which - included a period as a sponsored Research Fellow). In 2015, John was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Fellowship of the British Computer Society for his services to the IT industry. John remains active in the IT space, currently as an advisor to TechnologyOne an Australian based software provider and also Chair of the Universities UK/JISC Software Negotiations & Strategy Group.
John has throughout his career held high-profile roles at regional, national and European levels promoting innovation, technology and economic development. Including spending periods of time working in in France, Spain, Portugal and Germany and being a long-term advisor to the European Commission.
Additionally, John has held several Ministerial appointments in the UK and overseas. Currently he is a Non-Executive Board Member for the Department of Business and Trade in the UK, a Non-Executive Director for Qualification Wales an arms-length body of the Welsh Government, a Non-Executive Director for the NHS England Workforce Training and Education Committee. An Advisory Panel Member for the Home Team Academy of Singapore and most recently he was appointed as an Independent Panel Member on the Advisory Assessment Panel for the Recruitment of members to NHS Bodies.
Additionally, John is a Director of the University Alliance mission group of universities, and a Member for the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) for the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System.
Finally, John is an Extraordinary Professor in the area of enterprise and entrepreneurship at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where in 2019 he additionally received an Honorary Doctorate for his services to UK Higher Education. In the same year he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours with a CBE for his Services to Higher Education.
Professor Deborah Sturdy RN MSc (Econ), CBE
Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care
Deborah was appointed as the first Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care in 2021. She has held a number of previous roles including senior posts in practice, research and policy, in both social care services and the NHS. She was appointed the expert nurse on the Gosport Independent Panel the report of which was laid before Parliament in 2018.
She is a passionate care sector advocate and believes the workforce is its greatest asset. Developing careers, opening new pathways of opportunity and boosting recognition of care colleagues’ skills, value and expertise are, in her view, vital to the future success of the profession.
She holds three Visiting Chairs in Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan, Buckinghamshire New Universities and Coventry University. Deborah has written numerous papers for publications and presented at national and international meetings.
She was awarded a CBE in the 2023 Honours list and an OBE in the 2017. She is a Fellow of the QNI and RCN and received the British Geriatric President’s Medal for her contribution to older people nursing the first nurse to receive this.
Professor Liz Hughes
Medical Education Expert – Apprenticeship Pathway
Professor Elizabeth Hughes MBE is Medical Director in the Workforce Training and Education Directorate of NHS England with specific responsibility for Undergraduate Medical and Dental education. She was previously the Director and Dean of Education and Quality for Health Education England for London and South East.
Alongside this she has other national roles for NHS England including overseeing education in Pharmacy, Diagnostics and Healthcare Science together with a focus on international medical education. In addition, she leads on academic training and research.
Professor Elizabeth Hughes is also a Consultant in Chemical Pathology and Metabolic Medicine at Sandwell General Hospital, West Bromwich and Honorary Professor at the Universities of Aston, Warwick, Bolton and Coventry and visiting Professor at Worcester University. Elizabeth is a national expert in the treatment of inherited lipid disorders and is one of the Founder members of the national charity HEARTUK with which she has worked extensively with multi professional healthcare professionals and patients.
Professor Patrick Mitchell
Chair of Healthwatch Lambeth
Patrick Mitchell has worked in health services both in the NHS and California for over 38 years in a range of operational leadership roles. He more recently has focused his interests in the education sector working at Health Education England firstly as Director of National Programmes and then Regional Director South of England.
He moved from senior roles in medical and dental education at the Department of Health, previously worked as Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Chief Executive at St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, South London and Director for Operations at Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust. He also worked for PwC in their California practice in San Francisco.
His last role in Health Education England as Director of Innovation, Digital and Transformation covered a wide portfolio including NHS Knowledge Management and Library Services, the National Workforce Transformation Programme, the NHS Centre for Education Technologies, the NHS Digital Academy and the Blended Learning Degree Programme.
He oversaw the widely acclaimed Topol Review, led by Dr Eric Topol of the Scripps Institute in San Diego, which investigated the workforce, education and training implications of the introduction of digital technologies.
He currently provides a range of workforce advisory and consultancy services and is Chair of Healthwatch Lambeth and serves as a Trustee of the national domestic abuse charity, SafeLives.
Professor Andy Hardy
Chief Executive Officer, UHCW
Andy is Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW), one of the largest tertiary acute Trusts in the country, with an annual turnover in excess of £850m.
Andy was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2010. For the six years prior to that he was Chief Finance Officer of UHCW, as well as Deputy Chief Executive Officer from 2008 – 2010.
In addition, Andy sits on a number of external Boards including:
- West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN)
- Warwick Business School Faculty Advisory Board
- NHS Elect
- Beamtree Global Impact Committee
- Chair of University Hospitals Association
- Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies
In January 2016 Andy was appointed Professor of Industry at the University of Warwick, and in 2022 awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration at Coventry University in recognition of his leadership and significant contribution to healthcare provision across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Andy has served as:
- CIPFA President
- HFMA President
- Chair of A.U.H. Finance Directors
Andy is also a Director of Albany Theatre Trust, Coventry; and a Trustee of ExtraCare.
Professor Brian Dolan, OBE, FFNMRCSI
Director, Health Services 360
Brian Dolan is a dual qualified mental health and general nurse and worked in emergency care as well as in academic General Practice. He is Director of Health Service 360, UK, and works in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Ireland providing leadership and service improvement programs.
He has published over 70 papers and is author/editor of eight books, mainly on emergency care and leadership. With Professor Lynda Holt, he is currently working on books on deconditioning, and emergency nursing (4th edn) and his latest book the ‘The Clinician’s Survival Guide to Leadership and Management on the Ward’, was published in 2024.
As well as a Professor at Coventry University, Brian is Honorary Professor of Leadership in Healthcare at the University of Salford, and Honorary Adjunct Professor of Innovation in Healthcare at Bond University, Queensland. Brian is the originator of the Last 1000 Days and EndPJparalysis social movements which are about valuing patients’ time and encouraging early mobilisation of hospitalised patients and in 2018 was voted by the public as one of the top 20 most influential people in the history of the NHS.
In the 2019 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, Brian was awarded an OBE ‘For Services to Nursing and Emergency Care’ and, also in 2019, was awarded Fellow by Election of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
From 2021-2025, he was Honorary President of AGILE: the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists network for physios working with older people - the first nurse to do so.
Professor Julie Screaton
South London ECB & Chief People Officer
Julie is an experienced NHS workforce specialist who joined the NHS as a graduate trainee in 1987 having studied Economics at Cambridge University. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has MBA from London Business School.
Julie has wide ranging experience of leading workforce and organisational development teams, having worked at regional and trust level. As Regional Director, London and the South East for Health Education England, Julie was responsible for £1.4 billion of investment in education, training and workforce development across London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
She recently retired from her executive role as Chief People Officer on the Board of Guy’s of St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust in the summer of 2024 . Alongside her role at the Trust, Julie was also CPO on the South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) and led on people strategy across the sector.
Professor Dame Eileen Sills 
Pro-Vice-Chancellor’s Health Envoy
Eileen has been a nurse for 42 years. For 22 years, she was chief nurse across three different trusts, spending 15 years as chief nurse and deputy chief executive at Guy's and St Thomas' (GSST) NHS Foundation Trust.
Eileen has a reputation for strong, visible, clinical leadership and is known for her relentless drive to improve patient and staff experience, with a focus on the small things that make the biggest difference.
Most notably, was the work she led on dementia and protecting the most vulnerable, not just at GSTT, but also across London; the film she developed and led – called Barbara's Story - gained international recognition.
Most recently Eileen has had the opportunity to be the Chief Nurse at NHS Kent & Medway ICB, gaining valuable experience with commissioning, developing a new organisation and working with social care partners. Eileen is delighted to be back at the University as a Health Envoy to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Health and Care.
Professor Danielle Oum 
Coventry & Warwickshire ICB
Danielle has a strong leadership background in strategic development, stakeholder engagement and transformational change spanning the public, private and voluntary sectors. In addition to her role as Chair for Coventry and Warwickshire ICB, she is also the Chair of Audit at Healthwatch England, and Chair of Aquarius and board member of Recovery Focus, an expert group of charities, which includes Aquarius, inspiring recovery together by providing mental health, substance misuse and domestic violence services.
Previously Danielle has held the positions of Chair at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, Chair at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull, Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and Walsall Housing Group.
Danielle is committed to tackling inequalities and excited by the potential of ICSs to improve health services and promote healthy lives for the whole of the populations they serve.
Professor Ann-Marie Cannaby 
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Health and Care
is the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health at Coventry University. Prior to this role she worked in a collaborative group structure as the Chief Nurse at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Chief Nurse and Deputy CEO at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. Ann-Marie’s clinical background is grounded in caring for patients with medical conditions. She has worked within large University Hospitals in the UK and has held a variety of clinical, research and managerial roles including Chief Operating Officer.
For the last 17 years Ann-Marie has held executives roles, gaining a wealth of leadership experience across the NHS and internationally, including Chief Nursing Officer at Hamad Medical Corporation the public health system in Qatar. Ann-Marie has maintained an international nursing perspective, and has been involved in nursing leadership and quality projects in Holland, China, Egypt, Qatar, Malawi, Australia and New Zealand
Ann-Marie remains actively involved in research and education and holds a first degree, a Masters degree and a PhD. She held substantive Professorial positions and is now a Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University and Staffordshire University. She continues to teach on topics including transformational leadership and global policy. Her research interest focus on quality across nursing services including how technology (digital and robotic) can improve nursing care and patient outcomes. Ann-Mare is a member of the Health Advisory Board at British Telecom.
Professor Sir Ciarán Devane 
Chair of the Irish health service
Sir Ciarán Devane is the Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations at Coventry University. He is also Chair of the Irish health service (the HSE) and a trustee of Friends of Europe and of the British-Irish Association.
A chemical engineer by training, Ciarán had a twenty year career in industry and management consulting before becoming chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support and subsequently chief executive of the British Council. He has served on the Board of NHS England, and of Social Finance Limited. In 2015 he was knighted for services to cancer patients.
Professor Oonagh Smyth 
CEO Skills for Care
Oonagh Smyth is Chief Executive Officer of Skills for Care, which is the workforce development charity for adult social care in England. Oonagh started in law, with a Masters in Human Rights Law before moving into disability policy, governance and strategy. She has extensive experience working with organisations across the social care sector and prior to starting at Skills for Care in 2020, Oonagh was the Executive Director of Strategy and Influence in Mencap. She is also a former Co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance, an accredited executive coach with a Masters in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Business School and a Salzburg Global Health Fellow.
Richard Webb 
Corporate Director for Health and Adult Services at North Yorkshire Council
Richard Webb is Corporate Director for Health and Adult Services for the new North Yorkshire Council and has worked in this role across the County since 2014. As such, he leads on public health and adult social care, as well as partnerships with the NHS and with supported housing.
A graduate in politics from Durham University, Richard started his working life as an NHS national management trainee in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1992, with assignments in a large teaching hospital, as well as in the commissioning of mental health and substance misuse services.
He subsequently worked in service provision and commissioning in Gateshead and Stockton on Tees, spending 10 years in the latter, including 2 pioneering joint roles across local government and the NHS.
Since 2005, he has been a local government corporate director; first in Telford and Wrekin; then in Sheffield; and more recently in North Yorkshire. At various points his director responsibilities have included housing, community cohesion/safety/development, libraries, culture, leisure and regulatory services.
Nationally, he spent 9 years as a trustee for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and is the current co-chair of the County Councils Network Directors of Adult Social Services and Directors of Public Health forum.
Steve Thornton 
Professor of Obstetrics at Barts and the London, Queen Mary University of London and consultant obstetrician at University Hospital Coventry NHS
Steve Thornton is Professor of Obstetrics at Barts and the London, Queen Mary University of London and consultant obstetrician at University Hospital Coventry NHS. He holds a number of external Board and advisory positions, including Trustee for Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Chair of the RCOG Equality and Diversity committee and member of the Scientific Advisory committee. He is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
His previous roles include non-executive director (NED) of NHS Trust boards (Coventry, Plymouth, Exeter and Barts) and Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB). He was Chair of UKMed for Medical Schools Council and the General Medical Council, Dean for research at University of Warwick, Executive Dean of Medicine at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter medical school and Barts and the London. He was Vice Principal (Health) at Queen Mary University.
Professor Andrew Dickenson 
Chief Dental Officer for the Welsh Government, and Deputy Director in the Directorate of Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years
Andrew is Chief Dental Officer for the Welsh Government, and a Deputy Director in the Directorate of Primary Care, Mental Health and Early Years.
Andrew has over 33 years’ experience as a clinician within the NHS, with a varied career spanning education, management, and healthcare leadership. He is dual qualified in both Dentistry and Medicine, specialising in the field of paediatric maxillofacial surgery and provided a regional tertiary referral service for Derbyshire and Staffordshire before being invited to join the civil service in April 2022. Between 2014 - 2022 he combined clinical practice with the position of Postgraduate Dean at the former Health Education England, during which time he led a significant merger of three Deaneries across the East of England, West Midlands and East Midlands into a single unified educational structure. This administrated one of the largest multi-professional dental training programmes in the UK, delivering healthcare services to some of the most rural and underserved populations.
Andrew has extensive experience within postgraduate training, serving as an external examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons, examination board vice-chair and university examiner. He was a member of the reference group leading to the establishment of the College of General Dentistry, which was recognised with the award of Fellowship.
Andrew maintains an active interest in education and future workforce development, widening participation and leadership development, acting as a mentor for the Institute of Leadership and Management. His personal research interest is service planning within rural settings, which was recognised with a Visiting Professorship to the University of Chester. He is a Board member of the National Centre for Rural Health & Care and a non-executive Director of a community interest company that provides oral health services to coastal communities.
In his personal time he is an enthusiastic amateur musician, which has taken him across the world and played in many of the iconic concert halls. Andrew now serves as a Trustee for the European Doctors Orchestra.
Professor WJS (Wim) de Villiers 
Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Prof Wim de Villiers has been Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU) since 2015, when he joined his alma mater again after more than two decades abroad.
After graduating from SU with an MBChB, he went to Oxford University for his PhD, and then to America, where he studied at Harvard and held several senior positions at the University of Kentucky including Head of Gastroenterology, and Administrative Head of the Good Samaritan Hospital. He was included in the publication Best Doctors in America.
He was appointed Dean of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town in July 2013 and returned to South Africa before joining SU in his current position. On the national stage, he serves as Chairperson of the Finance and Investment Committee of Universities South Africa, chair of Higher Health.
On the international stage he was until recently a council member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
