Our Board members

Chair and Chief Executive

Anne O’Reilly, Chair

Anne was appointed as Northern Health and Social Care Trust Chair on 1 May 2023.  Prior to this Anne was a Non-Executive Director with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the NI Social Care Council. In her role in Belfast Trust Anne chaired the Social Care Committee, with a governance role in respect of the Trust’s Corporate Parent responsibilities and wider statutory duties.  Anne also took a lead role on Personal and Public Involvement and Carers. At the NI Social Care Council Anne chaired the workforce development group.

Anne is also a foster carer.

Anne joined the Northern Trust with a long track record of work in the voluntary sector, primarily at Chief Executive level, and currently works, in a voluntary capacity, with a women’s’ sector organisation. In 2015 Anne was awarded an OBE for services to older people and voluntary sector.

Jennifer Welsh, Chief Executive

Jennifer Welsh has been Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust since April 2020.  Prior to this, she was Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive from December 2017.

Jennifer has over 20 years’ experience as Director within Northern Ireland’s Health & Social Care Service, and has significant experience in strategy, operations, performance and capital development as well as a strong track record on safety, quality and governance.

Jennifer is currently the Senior Responsible Officer of two of Northern Ireland’s major capital investment programmes, namely the Evolve (HSC Digital) programme and the NIPIMS (NI Pathology Information Management Systems) Programme. She is also a former Chair of the Chief Executives Group, the Northern Ireland Pathology and Diabetes Networks, and past member of a number of other clinical networks, including Cancer and Cardiology.

Jennifer has a strong background in research, prior to her health and social care career, developing partnerships between academia and clinical service, and has retained a strong interest in the benefits that this, as well as innovation and quality improvement, can bring to patients and clients.

She has also been responsible for developing organisational approaches to partnership and engagement with statutory agencies, the community and voluntary sector, and with service users and carers.

Non-executive directors

Glenn Houston, Non-Executive Director

Glenn Houston has 35 years’ experience of working in health and social care in Northern Ireland. He was Chief Executive of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) until May 2016.  A social worker by profession, Glenn was the first Director of Women and Children’s Services / Executive Director of Social Work in NHSCT.   Glenn was previously Chief Executive of the former Craigavon and Bainbridge Community Trust and has held other senior appointments including in the Homefirst legacy trust.

Glenn is currently Chair of the Jersey Care Commission, Deputy Chair of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), a member of the Board of the Human Tissue Authority and the Public Prosecution Service (PPSNI).

Glenn currently serves on the Trust Board and on a number of Committees including the Assurance Committee, Audit Committee,  Charitable Trust Funds Committee and the Engagement, Experience, Equality and Employment Steering Group.

Glenn lives in Co Down.

Kathy Mackenzie, Non-Executive Director

Kathy Mackenzie worked in the education system for a number of years after receiving an MA from Dundee University.  Returning to university and obtaining a Post-Graduate Diploma in Accounting saw Kathy change direction and set up her own bookkeeping business working with small businesses in the Causeway area and specialising in Forensic accounting and Payroll services.

Until her recent retirement, Kathy worked for 29 years on the voluntary Board of Management of Triangle Housing Association which provides homes and care for people in need throughout Northern Ireland.  Whilst with Triangle Kathy chaired the Board on two occasions for a total of 5 years and at various times throughout her tenure was Chair of Finance, Housing and Development, Audit and Risk, and Remuneration Committees.

Janet Gray, Non-Executive Director

Janet Gray MBE has experience in working in elite sport and in the charity and public sectors. She is 4 times World Disabled Water Ski Champion and World record holder. Dr Gray is passionate about her charity work and is a founder member, former Chair, Director and currently Hon President of Disability Sports NI. After retiring out of International Sport, she served 5 years as a Councillor on Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) and was Chair of the Environmental Services Committee. She also served on Libraries NI and was Chair of Services Committee. After leaving LCCC, she took up post as an Independent Member of the NI Policing Board, and served 2 years as Vice-chair of Resources, then a further 2 as Vice-chair of Performance Committee.

Paul Douglas, Non-Executive Director

Paul Douglas has 28 years’ experience within the Police Service of Northern Ireland with 15 years as a senior manager prior to availing of voluntary severance in 2010. He has extensive experience in finance, human resources and partnership working. In the previous 14 years he has held a number of non-executive roles namely with the Patient and Client Council (PCC), the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NAIO). Mr Douglas is currently a Lay Commissioner with the NI Judicial Appointments Commission and a Non-Executive Board Member of Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

Carol Diffin, Non-Executive Director

Carol Diffin has 39 years’ experience working in the statutory Health and Social Care sector. Carol qualified as a social worker in 1984 and has worked primarily in statutory Children’s Services across Belfast HSC Trust, Southern HSC Trust and in the Northen Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency.

Throughout her career Carol has held several senior management positions, including Director of Children’s Community Services/Executive Director of Social Work in the Belfast HSC Trust from September 2018 until September 2022.

Carol is currently an Associate Consultant with the HSC Leadership Centre and an Associate with Clinical Leaderships Solutions.

Scott Armstrong, Non-Executive Director

Scott Armstrong is the Market Unit Director for Expleo Group in Northern Ireland and has been a member of the senior management team in Ireland for over 16 years. With over 25 years’ experience in the IT industry, he has held a range of director roles in sales, operations and delivery management. Scott was central to the success and growth of Expleo NI, which has been a critical partner in large IT system implementations across the public and private sectors. His remit now also includes the transport, retail, and public sector markets throughout Ireland. He is an MSc graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, and holds distinctions in the Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction qualifications from the Institute of Directors. Scott is also a Non-Executive Director and Trustee on the Board of HMS Caroline, the Belfast Museum and visitor attraction.

George Platt, Non-Executive Director

George Platt is a graduate of University College, Durham University, where he achieved his master’s degree in chemistry before undertaking subsequent research at Pai Chai University and Seoul National University on the Korean Government Scholarship Programme. George previously worked in scientific research, lecturing and project management roles before joining the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) on the new Graduate Management Programme in 2023. In 2023 George was a participant of the EU global cultural relations platform in Madrid and was also invited to represent the United Kingdom as its delegate and steering group member of the 13th UNESCO youth forum in Paris. Outside of his work with the NICS, George is a member of the Emerging Leaders programme at the William J Clinton Leadership Institute, Queen’s University Belfast, and serves on the global advisory board of Generation Democracy, an international network which seeks to promote the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making processes and civic activity around the world.

Paul Turley, Non-Executive Director

Paul has over forty years’ experience working in the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care system. As a local population health lead, he managed the South Eastern Local Commissioning Group [LCG] for 13 years and also coordinated the regional commissioning of Palliative and End-of-Life Care services and healthcare in the criminal justice system.  Mr Turley was involved from their inception with Strategic Community Planning Partnerships, an integrated and coordinated approach to public service planning. He formally sat on the Lisburn and Castlereagh and Ards and North Down Partnerships as the health and social care representative.  He also participated in the early planning of the new Integrated Care System for NI [ICSNI] and has been appointed as the carer representative on the Belfast Area Integrated Partnership Board [AIPB].  Since retiring from the Department of Health’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group [SPPG] in April 2023, he has become a nominated carer. In addition, he is working both locally and nationally with two charities to improve palliative and end-of-life care and epilepsy services.

Executive directors

Gillian Traub, Director of Operations

Gillian was appointed Director of Operations of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust on 25 September 2023. Prior to this she held the position of Director of Adult Community, Older Peoples Services and Allied Health Professionals in the Belfast HSC Trust.

Gillian has worked in health and social care services in Northern Ireland since 2006 gaining significant operational and strategic management experience leading local and regional services, and she has a strong track record in quality improvement.

A former NHS England Graduate Management Trainee, Gillian subsequently worked for 5 years in two large NHS Trusts in London. Gillian is a graduate of Oxford University and a Generation Q Fellow with the Health Foundation, during which she attained a Masters in Leadership and Quality Improvement from Hult International Business School.

Owen Harkin, Deputy Chief Executive / Executive Director of Finance

Owen Harkin took up his current position as Director of Finance & Estates with Northern HSC Trust in September 2015, assuming the role of Deputy Chief Executive in April 2020.

A graduate of the University of Ulster, Owen began his career in the Finance department of the Western Health and Social Services Board in Derry in 1988. He progressed through a series of finance roles within the health service across Northern Ireland and had a six year spell as a Chief Finance Officer in the Education sector from 2004 to 2010. This included roles in supporting Commissioning, service modernisation and integration, performance management. He returned to the health and social care sector in 2010 and was Assistant Director of Finance with the Health and Social Care Board until 2015, during which time he spent a year as Acting Director of Finance.

Owen has a long-standing interest in finance team development and is Past President of HFMA, the recognized UK professional body for the finance profession and finance staff in healthcare. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

As Executive Director of Finance Owen leads on the development of the Trust Financial Strategy and Annual Financial Plan and the successful delivery of statutory financial targets, in conjunction with key stakeholders within the Trust, with regional Commissioners and with senior colleagues within the Department of Health. This involves ensuring the effective use of resources, including staff, ICT, Capital Infrastructure to improve patient outcomes and optimise value for money. He is also responsible for the Trust Procurement Strategy and for the Estates Management function within the Trust.

Jacqui Reid, Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Corporate Communications

Joining the Northern Trust in September 2014, Jacqui has over 25 years’ experience in Human Resources across both public and private sector, having held a number of senior roles in employment consultancy, health and central government.

Jacqui was appointed Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Corporate Communications in May 2022.

Jacqui started her career in public sector where she spent 20 years in a range of roles before moving to the private sector in 2008 as a Human Resources consultant specialising in employee relations, organisational design and development, and talent management across a number of European jurisdictions.

Jacqui is a member of the Northern Trust’s Executive Team and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Suzanne Pullins, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals and Divisional Director Paediatrics, Women’s Services and Corporate Support

Suzanne was appointed as the Executive Director of Nursing (including responsibility for professional leadership and governance of Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals) and User Experience on 16 July 2021. In June 2022, Suzanne’s area of responsibility was extended to include Paediatrics and Women’s Services. Suzanne also holds the role of Director of Infection Prevention and Control. Prior to this, she was Interim Director of Nursing and User Experience from 1 September 2020 – 15 July 2021, and Assistant Director of Nursing Safety, Quality and User Experience and Deputy Director of Nursing from 1 December 2015.  She worked at Assistant Director Level within the Belfast and Northern Health and Social Care Trusts from 2009, and has significant experience in operational management and professional leadership in regional specialties, acute hospitals and community services.  Suzanne has also worked as Head of Governance (2012-2015) and led on the patient safety, governance, service user experience and quality agendas within the Northern Trust.

Suzanne has a proven track record in quality improvement, completing the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, Improvement Advisor Programme (2017) and was a member of the founding cohort of the Q initiative in 2017, a programme led by the Health Foundation which was a fantastic opportunity to experience co-design and co-production in quality improvement development, first hand.  She has held both clinical and managerial roles in Cardiology from 1987 until 2009, having completed the Coronary Care Course at Belfast City Hospital in 1989. She has a clear focus on learning from the patient and client experience and engaging service user at all levels. Suzanne has previously facilitated service user groups as part of the establishment of the Regional Cardiology Network to inform the development of Cardiology Services in Northern Ireland. She continues to operationally lead the implementation of 10,000 More voices and more recently the Trust implementation of the online user feedback platform of Care Opinion.

Suzanne Pullins started her career as a Registered General Nurse in 1987.

Dr Dave Watkins, Executive Director of Medicine

Dave was appointed as the Trust’s Medical Director from 1 September, 2022. Prior to this he was Divisional Medical Director for the Women, Children and Families Division from September 2015.

In his role as Medical Director, Dave acts as professional lead for medical staff across the Trust, and as medical advisor to Trust Board. His particular areas of responsibility include governance and patient safety, medical education and pharmacy services.

Dave completed his undergraduate training at Edinburgh University in 1991, and undertook his paediatric training between Manchester and Belfast, including the award of MD from Queen’s University in 2001 for research into cardiovascular risk in teenage children with the NI Young Hearts Project. He completed his specialty training in 2003, subsequently joining the Antrim Hospital team as a Consultant Paediatrician in January 2005.

Dave has continued to enjoy the varying challenges of general paediatrics through to the present time, and has also practised subspecialty interests in paediatric respiratory medicine and paediatric allergy, setting up with dietetic and nursing colleagues the Trust’s children’s allergy service in 2006. He also set up a multi-disciplinary children’s obesity service in 2008 and was an integral part of the Trust’s Managed Obesity Network at its inception in 2010. Clinically Dave has also attained postgraduate qualifications in Sports Medicine, and has worked as team doctor for both Manchester City FC’s youth academy and the Northern Ireland Under-21 football team.

As a Consultant, Dave has had a strong interest in education and training, with roles as a Foundation Programme Educational Supervisor, Advanced Paediatric Life Support Instructor, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health examiner, and has taken an active role in regional paediatric development via representing the Trust in the NI Child Health Partnership since its inception in 2017.

He has taken on leadership roles starting as Clinical Lead for Antrim Paediatric Department in 2009, moving to the role of Clinical Director in 2012 before taking up the post of Divisional Medical Director in 2015.

Maura Dargan, Executive Director of Social Work and Divisional Director of The Children and Young People’s Division

Maura Dargan is Executive Director of Social Work and Divisional Director of The Children and Young People’s Division (CYP).

Maura is the Divisional Director for Children and Young People’ Division and the Executive Director of Social Work having taken up post in September 2019.

Maura has been employed by the Northern Trust since 1993 when she started her career in Antrim Fieldwork office as a childcare social worker. Maura moved to her first management role 5 years later within childcare/child protection and has undertaken a number of middle/senior management positions since that time.

Appointed children’s service improvement coordinator in 2008, Maua was responsible for leading on developments such as the creation of Gateway and the single assessment/planning framework for childcare social work. Maura has maintained her interest in quality improvement having completed the Improvement Advisor Professional Development Programme run by the Institute for Health Care Improvement in 2016.

Maura became Head of Service for Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS) in 2012 and led on a range of initiatives to improve mental health support to children and young people. Most recently Maura was appointed as Assistant Director for Child Health, Development and Emotional Wellbeing focusing on improving access to services and developing fully integrated Emotional Wellbeing Services for children.

As Divisional Director Maura has operational responsibility for family and child care social work (safeguarding and corporate parenting), disability, child and adolescent mental health service, Paediatric and Adult speech and language therapy, Paediatric Autism and Occupational Therapy, community paediatrics and services provided at the Rowan, which is the Northern Ireland Regional Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

As Executive Director of Social Work Maura carries responsibility for all issues relating to social work policy, workforce and professional standards, alongside ensuring the Trust discharges its delegated statutory social services functions and maintains a high standard of social work practice in all programmes of care.

Divisional directors who attend Trust Board

Audrey Harris, Divisional Director Medicine and Emergency Medicine

Audrey has been a Registered General Nurse since 1991 and is a graduate of the Ulster University with a Specialist Practice qualification. Audrey has worked in Health and Social Care since qualifying in various roles across community and acute settings. She moved to the Northern Trust in 2003 as a District Nursing Sister and has held roles as an Integrated Team Manager, Community Lead Nurse, General Manager and worked within the Community Division in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust until 2017.  Audrey was appointed to the role of Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine covering Antrim, Causeway and Whiteabbey Hospital sites in March 2017.  From July 2020, she was Interim Director of Medicine and Emergency Medicine with responsibility for Emergency Medicine, Specialty Medicine and Trust-wide Dietetic services and was appointed Divisional Director Medicine and Emergency Medicine on 6 October 2022.

Petra Corr, Divisional Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Wellbeing

Dr Petra Corr was appointed Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Wellbeing on 6 October 2022 and is responsible for the delivery of the broad range of services within the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Wellbeing Division.  Petra is the lead for the strategic planning of services and is accountable for the operational delivery of these services within the Trust.  Prior to this, she was Interim Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Wellbeing.

Petra is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist.  Since qualifying from Queen’s University Belfast in 1994, Petra has worked as a Clinical Psychologist in Learning Disability and Mental Health Services and has particular expertise in relation to models of community treatment services.  Having managed Occupational Health and Well Being Services over recent years in NHSCT, she has a keen interest and focus on staff health and wellbeing. Throughout the first surge of COVID-19, Petra was very involved in the coordination of regional approaches to support staff.

Petra has led on the development of IMPACT Research Centre – a cutting edge psychological and mental health consortium.  This is a collaboration between a range of academic institutions, Institute of Mental Health Services, NICRN MH Network and NHSCT.

Diane Spence, Divisional Director Community Care

Diane was appointed to the role of Divisional Director Community Care on 6 October 2022. She is responsible for a wide range of services to older people in the community including Community Integrated Teams, Homecare, Treatment Room Services, District Nursing, Community Hospitals, Residential, Day Care and Supported Living Services, Sensory Impairment and the Macmillan Unit.   Prior to this, she was Interim Divisional Director of Community Care from April 2022.

Diane has worked in Mental Health and Learning Disability Services for over 15 years.  As an Assistant Director from 2018, she was responsible for all Adult Mental Health Services across community and acute services in the Northern Trust. This included inpatient services in both Holywell Hospital and Ross Thomson Unit, Causeway Hospital amounting to 136 beds including a regional Addiction Inpatient Service.  Diane was also responsible for a range of community services including Adult Community Mental Health Services, Mental Health Services for Older People including a range of Dementia Services, Community Addiction Services, Forensic Services, Personality Disorder Service, Conditions Management Programme, Recovery College, Mental Health Supported Living Services, Towards Zero Suicide, Mental Health Liaison Service and Crisis Response Home Treatment Services.

Lynne McCartney, Interim Director for Surgery and Clinical Services

Lynne was appointed to the position of Interim Director for Surgery and Clinical Services in December 2024. Prior to this, she was Assistant Director of Surgery, ATCCS & Acute Elective Services – initially appointed as Interim in January 2022 before becoming permanent in May 2023.

Lynne qualified as a Physiotherapist from the University of Ulster in 1995 and she also holds a Masters of Science in Health Sciences, which she achieved in 2007. Lynne worked in the Belfast Trust before moving to the Northern Trust in 2013 where she was appointed Governance Manager in Acute Services, before becoming Physiotherapy Services Manager in 2016.

Neil Martin, Divisional Director of Strategic Planning, Performance and ICT

A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Neil spent several years living and working in France before returning to Northern Ireland in 2003.  He entered the health service through the HSC Management Training Scheme and joined the Northern Trust in 2010 as Project Manager for Acute Service Reform.  Neil worked in the acute hospital divisions as Performance and Service Improvement Manager and Assistant Director for Modernisation, Reform and Performance before taking up the post of Interim Divisional Director of Strategic Development and Business Services in October 2019.

Neil was appointed to the position of Divisional Director of Strategic Planning, Performance and ICT in October 2022.

Paddy Graffin, Divisional Director of Infrastructure

Paddy took up the role as Director of Infrastructure on 13 July 2023. The Infrastructure Directorate is responsible for the delivery of a large number of services by our Estates and Capital Development Teams who play a crucial role in providing a safe, sustainable, and patient-centric environment for our healthcare professionals and patients alike. Paddy also held the role as Interim Director of Integrated Care and Partnerships from July 2021 until October 2022. The focus on this role being the Integrated Care Prototype and helping to improve health outcomes for the local population and address inequalities in health. Prior to this Paddy was Assistant Director of Estate Services from February 2017.

Previous to his Assistant Director of Estate Services role he was Head of Support Services within Estates and General Manager of Facilities within Corporate Support Services. Paddy has worked in health and social care since 1994 and with a spell in the private sector for four years before returning to the Health Service in July 2001 as the Information Systems and Telecommunications Manager. Paddy is qualified to Masters level from Ulster University.

Paddy has served his entire Health and Social Services career in the NHSCT area and is committed to improving outcomes for all service users.