Meet the Board

James Wilkie started his term as Chair on Thursday, 26 September 2024 following a period of acting into the role and a substantial amount of time as a Non Executive Director (NED). He is one of the longest-serving members of the Trust Board. Before joining the NHS, James enjoyed a long and successful career in local government working for a number of local authorities both in his native Scotland and across the North West region. He began his career as a town planner before moving on to manage a wide range of services in a number of senior leadership positions.

Following his retirement, James moved into the health sector and served on another NHS Trust Board before joining Blackpool Teaching Hospitals. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, including his wife, two grown up daughters, a grandson and his beloved chocolate Labrador.

Maggie Oldham was appointed as permanent Chief Executive in September 2024, after time spent in the post on an interim basis. She joined Blackpool Teaching Hospitals from Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, where she held the position of Deputy Chief Executive and Chief of transformation and recovery.

Maggie's commitment to enhancing organisational effectiveness and efficiency has defined her career. Beginning in 1982 when she joined the NHS on a Youth Opportunities Programme at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital, she started in pathology before transitioning into nursing.

Progressing through various nursing roles, Maggie eventually moved into general management, assuming leadership positions and earning a reputation for her proactive approach to challenges, consistently leaving organisations in a stronger position than she found them.

Since 2007, Maggie has held executive director roles within provider organisations, serving previously as a CEO, most recently at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.

With over two decades working in challenged Trusts and health systems, Maggie's passion lies in improving services for local communities, emphasising the importance of supporting colleagues in delivering better care.

Adrian Carridice-Davids has been a non-executive director (NED) since October 2022, with his latest term starting on 4 October, 2025. He has worked in coastal areas in another part of the UK and  wants to bring that experience of community and partnership engagement to Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, with the hope to collectively improve the wellbeing of the residents of Blackpool and reduce health inequalities in the area.

Previously Adrian was an Associate NED from October 2021 to October 2022.

Tracy Hopkins joined the Trust as a non-executive director on 1 August 2024 and is the Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Blackpool, bringing over 20 years of executive leadership experience in the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector. With a comprehensive understanding of Lancashire's diverse communities, Tracy is renowned for her dedication to partnership working and empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

Tracy's journey began at Manchester University, where she studied psychology before training as a teacher in Further Education. Her career progressed into developing adult training courses and working within the education and skills sector. In 2003, Tracy assumed her first CEO role, leading an Education Business Partnership across Greater Manchester. During this tenure, she acted as a consultant for the Department for Education and Skills, advising on employer engagement and corporate social responsibility. Tracy collaborated with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust to develop education leadership, sharing successful models globally, which significantly influenced the development of academies and school business managers.

Recently, Tracy completed a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Pre-doctoral Fellowship at Lancaster University. Her research focused on health inequalities in Blackpool, engaging with communities to identify and address these disparities. This work underscores her commitment to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

Tracy holds several key positions that reflect her extensive experience and leadership in the VCFSE sector. She is a member of Blackpool’s Health & Wellbeing Board, the Safeguarding Adults Board, and the Lancashire Association of Council for Voluntary Services Board. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the VCFSE Alliance across Lancashire and South Cumbria, interim Chair of Blackpool’s Place-Based Partnership, and represents the VCFSE sector on the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Fiona Poxon has been a non-executive director since October 2021, starting her latest term in the role on 4 October, 2024. She is a chartered accountant who started her career working in audit at Deloitte. She then moved into industry and developed a specialism in finance and commercial business partnering for large corporate entitles, she supported various operational and sales leaders to achieve their financial and workforce orientated goals.

More recently Fiona has been working as a consultant on finance transformation and change projects in organisations ranging from small volunteer-run community businesses to large national companies in the healthcare sector. Fiona is passionate about improving opportunities and outcomes for all. She is an active volunteer trustee, sitting on several boards for community-based and charity organisations in the North West.

Nadia Khan started her first term as a non-executive director on Thursday, 1 August 2024. She has worked in HR and operations for more than 20 years in a career which began in the retail sector at John Lewis Partnership and New Look.

She moved into primary and secondary care within the NHS, with stints in the Middle East, with the Civil Service, and finally as a Principal Recruitment Consultant for the public sector. This gives her a commercial edge as well as an understanding of public services, efficiencies and insights into international alternatives.

Nadia is a strong believer of the importance of giving back to society and not to forget her own roots. She has also previously worked as a magistrate, where her independent, analytical thinking was crucial. She also volunteered at Lancashire Women’s Centre where she could support those in need. These roles presented their own challenges that Nadia was more than able to meet.

Nadia is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusivity particularly empowering people with no voice or a quieter voice and giving them a way to be heard. She wants to help break barriers by not just talking about this area of work but making it a reality.

As a Non Executive Director, she wants to ensure that Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is providing the safest and most appropriate care for each patient's needs, and this will be achieved through the support and constructive challenge of the Executive Board.

As a born-and-bred Lancashire lass, the care that is delivered matters to her on a personal level

Paul McKevitt started his first term as a non-executive director on Monday, 3 February 2025. 

Paul is an experienced public sector Director of Finance. Paul was appointed Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer at Wigan Council in 2008 leaving the post in 2023. Concurrently Paul also held the post of Treasurer of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities from 2010-14, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service from 2011-2015, and was Director of Finance of Wigan Borough Clinical Commissioning Group from 2018-22. It was while Paul was in the joint Council and CCG role that he won the Public Finance Leader of the year award and Grand Prix at the 2022 CIPFA Public finance Awards.

Paul now works as a Financial Improvement and Sustainability Associate for the Local Government Association. In this role he provides financial support and guidance to all of the Local Authorities in the North West of England. He is also a Trustee at David Lewis and the Treasurer of the Fire Sector Confederation Charity.

Andy Roach is the Trust's Deputy Chair, Senior Independent Director and a Non-Executive Director.

Andy has been a non-executive director since October 2021, starting his second term with the Trust on Friday, 4 October 2025. He is a registered mental health nurse with more than 20 years’ experience at board level in health organisations.

He was most recently on the board at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and before that at NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group as Director of Integration and Transformation. Within the role, he was responsible for an ambitious plan to reform how the CCG commissions services.

Andy was also the Lead Director on behalf of partner organisations across the Fylde Coast, providing system leadership and strategic management for the Fylde Coast Vanguard New Care Models programme. The scheme redesigned the way primary, secondary and voluntary sector health organisations worked together to deliver integrated healthcare to residents across the Fylde Coast.

He previously held the position of Direc­tor of Opera­tions and Exec­u­tive Nurse at Cum­bria Part­ner­ship NHS Foun­da­tion Trust. Dur­ing his five years at the Trust, Andy led the estab­lish­ment of Inte­grated Locality Services across Cum­bria, and was respon­si­ble for over­see­ing the clin­i­cal and oper­a­tional imple­men­ta­tion of Trans­form­ing Com­mu­nity Ser­vices. He also developed and imple­mented the first Trust-wide nurs­ing strategy.

Fergus Singleton has been a non-executive director with the Trust since July 2022, starting his second term in the role on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. 

Fergus has spent most of his working life in the defence industry, having joined British Aerospace as an apprentice in the 1980s.

He has led several large operational teams and has extensive experience in engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, supply chain and transformation.

Fergus and his wife have three children. His son is severely disabled from a birthing injury. He has cerebral palsy at the most extreme end of the spectrum and a range of associated complications. Fergus’s experiences (great and not so great) with his son in the region’s hospitals was his primary motivation for joining the Trust.

Fergus is a keen sportsman and enjoys swimming, cycling and skiing although, sadly, his football days are in the past.

Catherine McDonald joined the Trust on an interim basis in January 2025. 

Our Chief Nurse, Allied Health Professionals (AHP) and Midwifery Officer is Sam Westwell.

Biography to follow.

Dr Neil Hartley-Smith was appointed Chief Medical Officer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals in June 2025, returning to the Trust where he began his medical career as a junior doctor over 20 years ago. Prior to this, Neil served as the Clinical and Care Professional Lead for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), where he played a pivotal role in developing integrated health and care services across the region.

Neil’s earlier leadership experience includes his tenure as an executive director at Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), where he represented the CCGs at statutory higher-tier council medical scrutiny committee meetings and contributed to strategic decision-making at director and CEO level. His work in these roles was marked by a commitment to improving operational efficiency and financial stewardship within the NHS.

With a background in General Practice, Neil worked for over 20 years at Bloomfield Medical Centre in Blackpool. His surgery was also tasked with providing urgent and emergency care to the Fylde Coast. He has also served as a GP appraiser for more than 19 years, supporting the professional development of fellow GPs.

Neil is recognised for his patient-centred approach, building long-term relationships and improving outcomes through continuity of care. He has steered organisations to work at maximum efficiency, drawing inspiration from successful practices in other sectors and valuing the insights of frontline staff.

Following a secondment from the ICB in May 2025, Andrew Harrison was appointed as the Chief Finance Officer on 01.11.25. Andrew held a number of Board-level finance positions in the NHS across the North West and has worked in roles encompassing Provider, Commissioner and Regulator within those roles. He has occupied roles across the Fylde Coast NHS for the last 12 years.   

Katy Coope joined the Trust in July 2022 as Deputy Director of People and Culture. In November 2023, Katy was successful in being appointed to the Executive Director of People and Culture.

Katy joined from NHS England and Health Education England where she held a dual role of Head of Workforce Transformation and Director of Delivery and Performance.  During her time with NHS England, Katy was the Workforce Director for the delivery of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in the Northwest and worked with multiple partners to ensure there was sufficiently trained workforce to deliver the vaccine. Prior to this, Katy was a Director within the NHS Transformation Unit and provided leadership and expertise in relation to people and culture on several Transformation Programmes.

With strong personal connections to Lancashire and Blackpool, Katy will be using her significant experience of people and culture to support the Trust in being an developing an inclusive culture and being an employer of choice.

Janet Barnsley has more than 30 years’ experience within the NHS in a variety of roles in both provision and commissioning. Janet has worked on the Fylde coast since 2013, initially supporting the CCGs with Commissioning Support Services and then being appointed to Blackpool CCG in a new role of Director of Performance and Delivery.

Janet supported the Trust with winter pressures from December 2017 and was seconded into the role of Interim Director of Planned Care in April 2018, supporting the Trust and wider Integrated Care Partnership. Janet was formally appointed to the Trust is January 2020 and now provides operational oversight and management for the Families & Integrated Community Care and Clinical Support Services Divisions as well as being the Accountable Officer for Estates & Facilities, Emergency Preparedness Resilience & Response and Health & Safety.