The Board's Non-Executive Directors share the corporate responsibility for ensuring that the Trust is run efficiently, economically and effectively.

They use their expertise, interest and experience to scrutinise the performance of management, monitor the reporting of performance, and satisfy themselves as to the integrity of financial, clinical and other information. The Non-Executive Directors also fulfil their responsibility for determining appropriate levels of remuneration for Executive Directors.

Mahmud Nawaz, Chair

Mahmud Nawaz, Chair

Mahmud has been Chair of Chesterfield Royal Hospital and Royal Primary Care NHS Foundation Trust since February 2024. He combines that part-time role with being a Senior Leader at Lloyds Banking Group.

Previously, Mahmud has also been a Non Executive Director at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, a Charity Chair at Relate Bradford and Leeds, a School Governor and a Multi-Academy Trust Director and brings varied and rich experience from the public, private and third sectors.

Mahmud’s professional career has been focused on both management consulting and the financial services sector, where he has built a strong track record in leading on customer strategy, segmentation, experience and transformation. 

Mahmud is passionate about tackling health inequalities and ensuring everyone has the right access, experience and outcomes that they deserve, and for twenty years has been an active organ donation campaigner and is also an Organ Donation Ambassador for NHS Blood and Transplant.  He has been recognised at the end of 2023 by his peers as one of 75 national ethnic minority health leaders by both the Seacole Group (BAME NHS Non Executive Directors Group) and APNA NHS (South Asian NHS Leaders Network), and most recently in September 2024 he has been named as one of Europe’s Top 50 Influential Muslims in Europe by Equality X.

Mahmud lives in Wakefield with his wife Sarah and 11 year old daughter Gracie.

Jayne Stringfellow, Senior Independent Director

Jayne has worked in the NHS as a nurse for more than 40 years and gained professional qualifications in nursing, midwifery, health visiting and NHS management. Throughout this time Jayne has always worked in roles requiring ongoing clinical knowledge and skills. Most recently Jayne held the post of Chief Nurse working with several clinical commissioning groups across a period of six years. 

Jayne has worked in the NHS as a nurse for more than 40 years and gained professional qualifications in nursing, midwifery, health visiting and NHS management.  Throughout this time Jayne has always worked in roles requiring on-going clinical knowledge and skills. Most recently Jayne held the post of Chief Nurse working with several clinical commissioning groups across a period of six years.  This involved being a Board member and also the Executive Director lead for quality with a portfolio responsibility including quality assurance and improvement, patient experience, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, medicines management and primary care.

Jayne has extensive experience in clinical governance, analysing performance and quality data as well as interpreting financial information.  She has previously worked with the Trust as a commissioner and Partner Governor.  Jayne also has a wealth of experience in primary care having worked with general practice in Derbyshire for over 15 years including working as Assistant Clinical Director with Derbyshire County PCT.  Jayne has been a member of a number of health and social care partnership boards and was also the senior responsible officer for maternity transformation within the Derbyshire STP.

Current term: 24 September 2018 to 23 September 2026          

Ian Ailles

Ian holds a number of Non-Executive and Trustee roles across housing, care homes and hospices as well as with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.  

Current term: October 2021 -10 October 2024

Sue Glew

Sue has more than 20 years' experience of working in an independent capacity in leadership roles in HR and Business Transformation, predominantly in the private sector. 

Her career is grounded in financial services, broadened over the years in retail, utilities (gas, electricity and water), construction, energy services, leisure, pharmaceuticals, media & communications. Sue is an APMG qualified Change Management Practitioner.

Sue has more than 20 years' experience of working in an independent capacity in leadership roles in HR and Business Transformation, predominantly in the private sector.  Her career is grounded in financial services, broadened over the years in retail, utilities (gas, electricity and water), construction, energy services, leisure, pharmaceuticals, media & communications. Sue is an APMG qualified Change Management Practitioner.

Sue has worked on a diverse range of business change programmes for a number of blue-chip companies.  Following her role as Interim Director of HR Services for the BBC, she went on to create an organisation-wide change management strategy & plan for a programme that brought significant changes to people, policies, systems, processes and culture. Sue has been at BT since 2018 as a HR Programme Director, where she is leading a UK-wide transformation programme which impacts more than 50000 people.

Current term: 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024

Keith Nurcombe

Keith serves as a NED for our Trust, for Humber Teaching Hospital NHS Trust and on the board of WM5G (part of the Combined Authority in the West Midlands). Keith is also the Chair of The Avalon Group and more recently has been appointed as a Crown Representative working for the Cabinet Office focusing on supporting the NHS and key strategic suppliers.

Keith has had a thirty years of executive career working in healthcare - both globally for the likes of GlaxoSmithKline and Telefonica - but also supporting and delivering services to the NHS.

Keith has specialised in digital delivery and transformation including the roll out of Shared Care Record systems and more recently Electronic Patient Records programmes within the NHS.

Keith has a degree in climatology and meteorology and when not working enjoys spending time with the family in North Yorkshire where he lives, skiing and sailing.

Keith has thirty years’ experience working in healthcare markets in the UK, Europe and globally.

Keith has worked in pharmaceuticals, medical staffing and medical hardware businesses over a number of years. More recently he has worked for a number of organisations using technology to support patients and GPs in the Primary Care space. Currently he is Chief Commercial Officer for Reset Health who deliver Innovative chronic disease management programmes. Keith is also a Non-Executive Director of Dietary Assessment Ltd an organisation supporting patients with management of diet.

Keith has been a Non-Executive Director for over five years supporting private technology businesses, charities and more recently Derbyshire Health United providing urgent and out of hours care as well as 111 in the East Midlands.

Current term: 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025

Atul Patel MBE

Atul’s career has spanned social housing, regeneration and regulation. His roles included Regional Director East Midlands and Director of Regulation at The Housing Corporation; Deputy Director at the Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Unit; and Chief Executive roles at ASRA Greater London Housing Association and LHA-ASRA Group in Leicester, until retiring in 2010.

Atul’s career has spanned social housing, regeneration and regulation. His roles included Regional Director East Midlands and Director of Regulation at The Housing Corporation; Deputy Director at the Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Unit; and Chief Executive roles at ASRA Greater London Housing Association and LHA-ASRA Group in Leicester, until retiring in 2010.

Latterly, he was a Trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund, where his roles included Chair of the Finance Committee and Investment Panel; and Trustee of the Royal College of Nursing Foundation. He was appointed MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2018 for services to Heritage and the Community in the East Midlands.

Currently he is Chairman of the Charnwood Forest Landscape Partnership, Non-Executive Director of the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chair of the Chesterfield Hospital Charitable Funds Committee, and a Trustee of several charities. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing and Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Current term: 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025

Paul Wood

Paul has worked a General Practitioner in the NHS for over 30 years. He undertook his training in Nottingham, Derby and Leicestershire and settled in Derbyshire being a GP partner in Derby from 1993, until retiring from the practice in 2022.

Whilst being a GP he embraced other roles in Primary Care Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups. Paul was part of Southern Derbyshire CCG from its inception and became was Chair between 2016-2019.This CCG commissioned healthcare for over half a million people in Derby and Southern Derbyshire. In addition to chairing SDCCG he was Interim Chair of Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) for two years until 2019.

Paul has worked a General Practitioner in the NHS for over 30 years. He undertook his training in Nottingham, Derby and Leicestershire and settled in Derbyshire being a GP partner in Derby from 1993, until retiring from the practice in 2022. Whilst being a GP he embraced other roles in Primary Care Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups. Paul was part of Southern Derbyshire CCG from its inception and became was Chair between 2016-2019.This CCG commissioned healthcare for over half a million people in Derby and Southern Derbyshire. In addition to chairing SDCCG he was Interim Chair of Joined Up Care Derbyshire (JUCD) for two years until 2019.

His main areas of interest have been in Primary Care Development and Urgent and Emergency Care Delivery and Transformation, having previously chaired the A&E Delivery Board in Southern Derbyshire. 

In addition to his role as a Non-Executive Director at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, he continues to work as a sessional GP and Urgent and Emergency Clinical Lead for Derby and Derbyshire ICB.

Outside of work his passions are family, walking in the Derbyshire Dales and being a season ticket holder at a local football club.

Current Term: 1 Aug 2023 – 31 July 2026

John Somers

John joined the board as a Non-Executive Director in August 2023. He is an experienced leader who has more than 22 years’ board level experience in public and private sector organisations.

His most recent position, until retirement in July 2022, was as Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, which he joined in 2014. Prior to that he has worked in various senior NHS roles across commissioning, community services and acute hospital care.

John joined the board as a non-executive director in August 2023. He is an experienced leader who has more than 22 years’ board level experience in public and private sector organisations.

His most recent position, until retirement in July 2022, was as Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, which he joined in 2014. Prior to that he has worked in various senior NHS roles across commissioning, community services and acute hospital care.

John held a regional leadership role in an Integrated Care System and a local leadership role in a Place-based Accountable Care Partnership with a track record of successfully delivering transformational change by partnership working. He has also worked as an executive reviewer for the CQC as part of their well led inspection reviews.

John, who trained as a chartered accountant, has a passion for the NHS and is keen to utilise his experience to improve services for the residents of Chesterfield and the wider Derbyshire area.

In retirement, John has continued to run around the beautiful Derbyshire countryside in all weathers and is looking to improve his golf handicap. A visit to a local gallery in December 2022 sparked an interest in art and John has converted an upstairs room to a studio to accommodate his expanding collection of paintings.

Current term: 1 Aug 2023 – 31 July 2026