Executive Director Profiles
Mr Ian Tipney - Chief Executive
Ian Tipney joined the NHS in 1986 following a number of years in finance posts in the public and private sectors. Ian is a qualified accountant and was appointed Director of Finance at West Dorset Health Authority in 1989 and was subsequently Director of Finance/Deputy Chief Executive at Dorset Health Authority and Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority from 1992-2006.
Ian was appointed Chief Executive of NHS Somerset in October 2006 and led the integration of the four predecessor Primary Care Trusts into one organisation.
During the period 2003-2006, Ian was also a Non-Executive Director of the national Counter Fraud and Security Management Service for the NHS.
Dr Donal Hynes - Professional Executive Committee Chair
Donal qualified from Galway Medical School in 1979. Having worked in hospitals in London and Bristol, he obtained the specialist qualification in General Medicine (MRCP) and a diploma in Elderly Care. He joined Redgate Medical Practice in Bridgwater in 1988, where he remains in General Practice, and has since obtained an MSc degree in Health Care from Exeter University.
Donal was appointed Professional Executive Committee (PEC) Chair in July 2007 and currently holds that appointment for NHS Somerset. He is also the national Co-Vice Chair for the NHS Alliance and chaired the South West Long Term Conditions work stream of the NHS Next Stage Review in the South West.
Donal developed the first GP supported Referral Management Service as well as developing a countywide universal musculoskeletal/orthopaedic interface service.
Somerset has a unified Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) group that is delivering innovative solutions to prevent unscheduled care admissions to hospitals. Donal is a member of the Department of Health’s Reinvigorating PBC team.
Donal is currently involved in developing a radical vision of a wait free health care delivery system for all services.
Mrs Jan Hull - Deputy Chief Executive / Director of Commissioning Development
Prior to joining NHS Somerset, Jan Hull was Acting Chief Executive of Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust. Jan joined the NHS in 1992 as a member of the Somerset Health Authority Public Health Team. Following a number of public health posts, she became Head of Health Promotion and in 2000 contributed to the development of the NHS Plan. She became a Director of Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust in 2002.
Jan’s early career was spent in Unilever, having joined as a graduate trainee. She held a number of international marketing and general management roles, including a two year posting to the USA.
In her role as Deputy Chief Executive, Jan chairs the Somerset Children’s Trust and the Somerset Drug and Alcohol Action Team on behalf of NHS Somerset.
Mr Paul Goodwin - Director of Finance and Performance / Interim Director of Commissioning
Paul Goodwin joined the NHS in 1986.
Prior to his appointment with Somerset Primary Care Trust, he was Deputy Director of Finance for NHS South West Strategic Health Authority, and formerly held a variety of finance roles with the Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority.
He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Dr Caroline Gamlin - Director of Public Health
Caroline graduated from Leicester Medical School prior to training in General Practice, obtaining Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Diploma of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1986.
She worked in Tanzania during 1987/8 establishing a rural hospital that would be able to serve a remote island population. Caroline returned to the UK in 1989 to undertake training as a Consultant in Public Health Medicine, obtaining membership of the Faculty of Public Health in 1996 and Fellowship in 2006.
Caroline was appointed as a Consultant in Public Health at the Somerset Health Authority in 1999 leading on children and maternity services and developing close joint working with the County Council.
In 2002 Caroline was appointed as Director of Public Health to Mendip Primary Care Trust and latterly, NHS Somerset, leading the public health function, building a strong team which leads on partnership working and needs assessment across the County.
Caroline is also a Board Director of Connexions and appointed Governor of Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Caroline is lead educational supervisor for public health across Somerset and Dorset and is actively involved in public health training.
Mr David Slack - Director of Primary Care Development
David is a Cambridge Economics graduate and a Chartered Accountant. He joined the NHS in 1990 working initially for Nottingham Health Authority and then moving to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton as Assistant Director of Finance in 1992.
Appointed as Director of Finance and Performance Management at Somerset Coast Primary Care Trust in April 2001 where he worked until the creation of Somerset Primary Care Trust (now NHS Somerset) in October 2006.
His responsibilities during this time included the implementation of the new GMS contract and Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) in addition to developing business cases to replace Minehead and Bridgwater community hospitals and for commissioning secondary care services, Information Management and Technology and corporate affairs.
In his current role he works closely with the Professional Executive Committee (PEC), over 300 primary care contractors and WyvernHealth.Com, Somerset’s Practice Based Commissioning Consortium, to develop both primary care services and the commissioning role of primary care clinicians
Mrs Lucy Watson - Director of Nursing and Patient Safety
Lucy Watson trained as a general nurse at the Sheffield School of Nursing, qualifying in 1982, and worked in the areas of neurology and oncology. In 1992 she trained as a health visitor and worked in primary care. She was a community practice teacher and trained a number of health visitor students and co-tutored a return to practice course for health visiting.
Lucy has held number of operational management, service development and lead nurse roles in the areas of sexual health, Sure Start, public health nursing, clinical governance and patient safety, education and training. In 2005 Lucy moved to Somerset and was appointed Deputy Director of Nursing and Community Services in South Somerset Primary Care Trust and joined Somerset Primary Care Trust when it was formed in 2006.
Lucy obtained a masters degree in practice development from the University of Bournemouth in 2005.
In her current role as Director of Nursing and Patient Safety at NHS Somerset Lucy is responsible for quality and patient safety in the services that we commission for the population of Somerset, and for safeguarding policy and practice, infection control, continuing health care and commissioning for maternity services and children’s services.
Mr Mark Appleby - Director of Human Resources / Acting Director of Corporate Services and Communications
Mark Appleby joined the NHS in 1998 following a Human Resources career in industry as Head of Human Resources for Desoutter Ltd.
Mark’s first post in the NHS was as Human Resources Manager for the NHS Executive where he led the organisation through a major organisational change process. In 2003 he joined the Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority as Associate Director of Human Resources where he successfully delivered the national Human Resources strategy in Dorset and Somerset and led the organisation through a further organisational change process.
Mark has 15 years people management experience gained with the private and public sectors. As Director of Workforce, Mark Appleby is responsible for workforce issues in NHS Somerset and was appointed to the position in April 2007.
Mark is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has a special interest in developing staff and providing a Human Resources service that contributes to organisational strategy.
