Meet our directors

Alison Marshall has been Chair of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust since October 2019, having previously been a non-executive director at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Before working in the NHS, Alison was a partner in a large law firm specialising in regulatory law and dispute resolution advising clients from both the public and private sector. As well as her legal knowledge, she brings with her a wealth of experience from other non-executive and governance roles.

Trudie joined the trust as the CEO in March 2023. For more than nine years, Trudie has held several leadership positions in the NHS. She originally trained as a nurse, holding roles at Leeds Teaching Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary. In 2003, Trudie moved to service improvement and then three years later assumed the role of operational manager for trauma and orthopaedics. Subsequently, she took up senior management positions in medicine and accident and emergency, all whilst working at Leeds. Trudie has previously served for three years as an assistant director of operations at Leeds Teaching Hospital prior to joining Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 2016. Since then, she has been working as the Chief Operating Officer and latterly as Deputy Chief Executive with additional roles for system leadership in both planned and unplanned care before joining Gateshead Health.

Gill trained as a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse at Great Ormond Street in London. Since qualifying Gill has held various clinical and managerial positions in Leeds, Newcastle, and Durham. Most recently Gill worked in the County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group where she was the Director of Nursing. Gill has also undertaken secondments in Bradford and District Care Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valley’s NHS Trust. Gill has recently completed a professional doctorate at Teesside University and is passionate about providing high-quality, safe patient care.

Joanne joined the Trust in June 2020 as the Chief Operating Officer. She is an experienced Executive Director having worked at Executive level since 2013 and brings a wealth of experience from over 30 years in the NHS. She is also a Registered General Nurse, a registered public health nurse and has worked in management roles across all sectors of the NHS, such as community services, acute hospital services and has a passion for service improvement and transformation and the provision of high quality effective and responsive patient care. She joined the Trust from North East Ambulance service where she was Executive Nurse and Director of Quality Safety Innovation and Improvement.

Andy has been a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist for the Trust since 1995 and Trust medical director since 2016. Previously he was clinical lead for obstetrics and gynaecology for 11 years and an associate medical director (workforce) for 2 years. He is the Trust’s Caldicott Guardian responsible for overseeing the appropriate use of personal information. He is joint Senior Responsible Officer for the North East and North Cumbria Local Maternity and Neonatal System.

Kris joined the Trust in 2018 working in various roles and is now Group Director of Finance and Digital. She has also held senior finance positions at NHS Improvement and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, having worked in NHS finance for over 20 years.

Lisa joined the trust in October 2020 as Executive Director of People and OD. She is an experienced NHS HR Director, having worked at Executive Level since 2012 and in the NHS since 1999. She has experience working in large complex trusts as well as some time as the first Director of Workforce for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System. She is a Governor at Gateshead College and Chair of the North East HRD network as well as a member of the North East and Yorkshire People Board.

Hilary joined the Trust Board in June 2020. She became the Chair of the Trust’s wholly owned subsidiary company QE Facilities in October 2020. She has a wide experience in both the public and private sectors. She was a partner in a solicitors’ practice for 30 years and was also a non-executive director of the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for many years. She is an independent Board member of Kingston Properties (the commercial subsidiary of a Housing Association) and the Chair of The Newcastle University Development Trust (a registered charity).

Anna has worked in the NHS for over 35 years and has worked clinically as a nurse, midwife and health visitor. Anna has worked in senior leadership positions across the NHS in commissioning, regulation and provider services. Her most recent role was as the Executive Chief Nurse in Cumbria. She maintains her registration as a nurse and midwife.

During his executive career, Andrew has gained experience in the water, telecommunications and ports sectors, occupying senior financial, commercial and strategic roles both in the UK and internationally. He was Strategy Director at Orange, CFO at Three (Italy), CFO at Three (UK) and after joining the Port of Tyne as Finance and Commercial Director in 2007 became Chief Executive for 10 years until 2018. He has sat on a number of regional regeneration Boards including the North East LEP, where he also chaired its Investment Board. He has also previously been Chair of the British Ports Association and of the CBI’s Regional Council. In addition to being a Board member of Gateshead Health, Andrew is chair of its Audit Committee and Digital Committee.

Ruth has been a GP in Gateshead since 1995 and works in a small practice in Bensham. She has been on the Trust Board as a non-executive director since 2017 and is now chair of the People and OD committee as well as being a health and wellbeing guardian.

Martin has been Non-Executive Director of Gateshead Health NHS Trust since July 2017. Martin was elected as a member of Gateshead Council in 1984 and served in various roles including Deputy Leader for six years, before being elected as Leader of the Council in May 2016. He is also Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee and is a board member of North East Combined Authority, Transport for the North Board, North East LEP, LGA Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board and Gateshead College.

Maggie joined the Trust in October 2021. She is a qualified HR professional with extensive commercial experience operating at Board level. Her executive career has been predominately within the private sector. She was HR Director with Parkdean Resorts for 15 years up until 2019. A passionate advocate for employee engagement, Maggie runs her own technology business which focuses on this area. Over the last 30 years Maggie has sat on a number of regional boards and was the first ever female President and Chair of the North East Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her role with us, she is also a Trustee and Volunteer at The People’s Kitchen, Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors at York, St. John University and a Trustee of The Soundroom in Bensham, The Chronicle Sunshine Fund and the Theatre Royal, York.

Mike is a public sector accountant. He worked in the NHS for over 34 years having been Director of Finance and Corporate Governance and Deputy Chief Executive at South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust. He previously carried out a similar role at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle. Mike has a long association with St Oswald’s Hospice, having served as Chairman of Trustees and Honorary Treasurer he was appointed as a Vice President in 2007.

Neil has been a consultant in Emergency Medicine for the Trust since 2003, and he has also served as the Deputy Medical Director since 2016. In 2021, he was seconded as the Interim Medical Director for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. He has extensive experience in postgraduate medical education, having previously held the positions of Director for Medical Trainee Revalidation and Director of Postgraduate Specialty Training within Health Education England North East. From 2008 to 2014, he served as the inaugural Head of the Postgraduate School for the Acute Specialties, which included Emergency Medicine, in the Northern Region. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in educational development, where he focused on understanding how trainees learn and how teams work.