Meet our Board
Last updated: 23/02/2026
The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for governing and leading the organisation. Their main role is to guide the overall strategic direction of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust.
UHBW is an authorised Public Benefit Corporation as defined by the National Health Service Act 2006 and is regulated by the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts known as NHS England.
As a Public Benefit Corporation, the Trust is required to comply with governance standards set out in the NHS Act, its Terms of Authorisation, the Foundation Trust Constitution, the Foundation Trust Code of Governance, and sundry other regulatory requirements.
The Trust is required to have a Council of Governors and a Board of Directors.
The Board is made up of directors, including the Chief Executive, who are full-time senior staff, together with an independent Non-Executive Chair and Non-Executive Directors who hold part-time positions.
UHBW’s Chair, Chief Executive and Executive Directors are also the Chair, Chief Executive and Executive Directors of North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), holding joint roles across the two organisations.
Meet our Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors.
The Executive Directors bring expertise to key areas of the Trust and oversee the day-to-day operation of the organisation, while the Chair and Non-Executive Directors offer skills and experience from a wide variety of roles within the wider community. The Trust Chair has specific duties and responsibilities for the effective leadership of the Board, and creating the conditions necessary for overall board and individual director effectiveness. This includes the duty to lead effective governance at organisational level.
Since we formed Bristol NHS Group, UHBW’s Board meets in common with the Board of NBT, meaning that the Two Boards meet together at the same time and place, and have a shared agenda.
The Board's key functions are:
- To set the vision and strategic direction for the Trust, define objectives, and agree plans for the Trust.
- To monitor performance and ensure corrective action is taken where performance needs to be improved.
- To ensure the Trust makes best use of the resources made available to us by the taxpayer.
- To ensure high standards of corporate and quality governance so the services we provide are safe and of a high quality.
View the key committees that feed into our Board.
Key publications such as Annual Reports, our Constitution and our Registers of Interests can be found on our Reports and Publications page.
Group Chair: Ingrid Barker
|
A qualified social worker, Ingrid has over 25 years of NHS board level experience. This has included roles as Chair at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Joint Chair of Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust and ²gether NHS Foundation Trust and as a Non-Executive Director of NHS Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust. She is also an active Governor at the University of Gloucestershire.
Ingrid’s drive and commitment to the provision of high-quality services, accessible to all, is evidenced in her national policy and service redevelopment roles, notably leading on the transformation of mental health services community provision. She was also a trustee and board member of NHS Providers between 2013 and 2021, elected to represent Community Trusts across England.
Ingrid started in her role as Group Chair on 1 June 2024.
|
Group Chief Executive: Maria Kane OBE
|
Maria Kane OBE was appointed as Joint Chief Executive of North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust in July 2024. Prior to this she was Chief Executive of NBT from April 2021.
Maria previously worked as Chief Executive of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust from 2017 until 2021, as Chief Executive of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust between 2007 and 2017, and as Executive Director at North West London Strategic Health Authority between 2002 and 2006. Maria has held a variety of senior roles in corporate and strategic development for the Royal College of Midwives, Medical Protection Society and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations.
In 2019, Maria was made an OBE for services to health care leadership over two decades, particularly in North London.
Maria is Chair of Bristol Health Partners, a member of the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, and sits on the board of Health Innovation West of England. She is also the South West representative for the NHS Genomics Board, and is the representative for the South West on the NHS Impact National Improvement Board.
Maria has previously been a trustee of Open Door, Umbrella Mental Health, and Young Minds, as well as an adviser to the Lullaby Trust and a special adviser to the Care Quality Commission. She was also chair of governors of a primary school for ten years.
|
Hospital Managing Director, UHBW: Professor Stuart Walker
|
Stuart is an experienced NHS Chief Medical Officer and previous Deputy Chief Executive and Interim Chief Executive. He has a background in a broad range of senior leadership positions and, as a prior cardiologist of 18 years standing, significant senior clinical experience.
Before coming to UHBW as Chief Medical Officer in February 2022, Stuart worked at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board as MD, Deputy CEO and then Interim CEO. He has also held prior executive, and senior leadership, roles in the English NHS for example as MD at Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and Chief Medical Officer at TSFT and Somerset Partnership FT. He was awarded the title of Honorary Professor by Cardiff University in 2021, and Honorary Visiting Professor by University of the West of England, Bristol in 2023.
|
Declarations of Interest
Members of the Group Board are required to make an annual declaration of any interests which they have.
In addition, Group Board members are required to provide an update during the year should a new interest arise, or an interest cease. Where the interest ceases, the information will be held on the record for a period of at least six months.
Declarations +
Ingrid Barker, Group Chair for NBT and UHBW
- Governor, University of Gloucestershire
- Member of the Faculty of TPC Health – a coaching company working predominantly in the NHS and Social Care (since January 2024)
- Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
Maria Kane, Group Chief Executive for NBT and UHBW
- Advisory Group Member of CHKS, a provider of healthcare intelligence and quality improvement services (remuneration donated to Southmead Hospital Charity)
- Visiting Professor to the University of the West of England (unremunerated)
- Trustee of Help to Create Hope Charity
Glyn Howells, Hospital Managing Director for NBT
Jenny Lewis, Group Chief People and Culture Officer
Neil Darvill, Group Chief Digital Information Officer (non-voting position)
- Wife works as a senior manager for the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Integrated Care Board (ICB)
- Stepbrother is an employee of the Trust, working in the Cancer Services Team
Neil Kemsley, Group Chief Finance and Estates Officer
- Chair of the Audit South-West Consortium Board
- Appointed to support the Independent Review into Maternity Services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, being led by Donna Ockenden, through NBD Kemsley Ltd, his own personal services company
- Shareholder in NBD Kemsley Ltd
Paula Clarke, Group Formation Officer (non-voting position)
- Associate Consultant for the Leadership Centre in Northern Ireland
- Professor Steve Hams, Group Chief Nursing and Improvement Officer
- Visiting Professor, University of the West of England
- Director, Curhams Limited (dormant company)
- Independent Trustee and Chair of the Infection Prevention Society
- Associate Non-Executive Director, Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board
- Husband is employed by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Affiliate Member, Bristol and Avon St John Priory Group
- External Examiner – School of Nursing BPP University
Professor Stuart Walker, Hospital Managing Director for UHBW
Professor Tim Whittlestone, Group Chief Medical and Innovation Officer
- Director of Bristol Urology Associates Ltd: undertakes occasional private practice (Urology Specialty) at company office, outside of NBT contracted hours
- Chair of the Wales and West Acute Transport for Children Service (WATCh)
- Vice Chair of the South-West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance Board
- Wife is an employee of the Trust
- Director of 3RO Ltd (providing medical advice to international NGOs etc)
Linda Kennedy, Group Non-Executive Director
Marc Griffiths, Group Non-Executive Director (non-voting position)
- Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean, University of the West of England, Bristol
- Director of the Council of Deans
- Governor, City of Bristol College
- Ad-hoc Fitness to Practice support for the Health & Care Professions Council
Martin Sykes, Group Non-Executive Director
- Non-Executive Member and Senior Independent Director, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
- Poku Osei, Group Non-Executive Director
- Non-Executive Director, Business West
- Court Member, University of Bristol
- Director and Principal Consultant, Merop Consulting Ltd (Bristol)
- Founder and Director, Babbasa (Bristol)
Richard Gaunt, Group Non-Executive Director
- Non-Executive Director of Alliance Homes, social housing provider
Roy Shubhabrata, Group Non-Executive Director
- Director, HelpAge International UK
- Director, Age UK Bath and North East Somerset Limited
- Director, Age UK
- Chief Executive, Healthinnova Limited
- Member of National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research funding committee
- Director of Forceteck Ltd
Professor Sarah Purdy, Group Non-Executive Director
- Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol
- Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
- Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
- Trustee, Barts Charity
Indirect Interests (i.e. through association of another individual e.g. close family member or relative) via Graham Rich who is:
- Chair, Armada Topco Limited
- Chair, EHC Holdings Topco Limited
Shawn Smith, Non-Executive Director for NBT
- Governor of City of Bristol College
- Trustee of Frank Water
- Elim Housing Association (Board member)
Sue Balcombe, Non-Executive Director for UHBW