Our executive team

The hospital's Board of Directors sets policy and ensures that the chief executive delivers in line with that policy. It makes major decisions in consultation with senior clinical staff.

The Board of Directors is made up of the Chief Executive who heads a team of six full-time professionals (Executive Directors) plus a Chairman and six men and women who know and represent the interests of the local community, (Non-executive Directors).

Our Council of Governors works with our Board of Directors to ensure that we deliver services that reflect the needs of our patients and the local community. They are not involved in the day to day running of the hospital, but they are involved in determining the hospital's future plans.

Nigel Beverley

Nigel Beverley Trust chair

Trust Chair (independent, voting)

Nigel has had a long and successful career in healthcare management, primarily in the NHS. This included a number of provider Chief Executive positions in Essex and London as well as senior roles at regional NHSE and commissioner level. Nigel’s experience in the NHS has provided him with a range of areas of expertise including business development, performance management and improvement, change management and transformation. Having retired as a Chief Executive, Nigel was appointed to the lead the successful merger of the predecessor organisations to create Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust in 2020.

Nigel is very keen to continue his contribution to the Trust and is passionate about creating a skilled, vibrant and diverse Board and leadership team as it embarks on its next phase to improve and transform care for the population of mid and south Essex.

Alan Tobias OBE

Alan Tobias OBE - Deputy Chair

Non-Executive Director, Trust Vice Chair (voting)

Alan joined Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as Chairman in December 2011 from his former position of chairman at West Essex Primary Care Trust. He is a qualified solicitor with a strong record of senior management, both in the public and private sector. For 16 years he was the London Boroughs' Chief Executive and latterly chairman of an Information Technology company.

Alan was also a Chairman of Essex Probation Service for six years and a board member of Springboard Housing Association as well as a trustee to two charitable Trusts. In February 2019, Alan was appointed as chairman of Mid Essex Hospitals alongside his role at Southend.

Matthew Hopkins

A portrait photo of new CEO Matthew Hopkins

Chief Executive (voting)

Matthew is an experienced Chief Executive with leadership experience in a range of NHS organisations, health and care systems and at the frontline. In an NHS career spanning almost 40 years; his clinical experience as a cancer and palliative care nurse specialist, and later as an operational manager, have equipped him with a deep understanding of how hospitals work and how integrated care can benefit patients and the tax payer. He has held leadership roles in academic, specialist and general healthcare organisations, as well as at regional level. He is known for leading challenged acute trusts out of ‘special measures’. In particular, he has a reputation for leading culture change, focusing colleagues at all levels on patient centred care and using an improvement system to eradicate quality defects and waste in care delivery and operational processes.

In his first year leading Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Matthew has strengthened the governance systems, embedded the vision and values, launched a 10 year strategic review, evolved the multi-site operating model and implemented a financial recovery plan. Urgent and emergency care performance has improved and cultural improvement programmes are underway in vascular and paediatric services. His current focus is on building a high quality leadership team and embedding the leadership and management behaviours framework across the trust to benefit local people.

Selina Dundas

Selina Dundas

Acting Chief People and Organisational Development Officer (voting)

Selina has a long successful career in Human Resources, mainly in central government, spanning 20 years. 

She joined the Trust in October 2022 where she was appointed deputy People and Organisational Officer and has since moved into the acting role since May 2023.

Selina also has a passion for helping large organisations develop a unified culture for the betterment of staff and the people they serve.

Andrew Pike

Andrew Pike - Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer (voting)

Andrew has spent 35 years of his career in the NHS in Essex, with a wealth of experience in hospitals, primary care and commissioning. He has held several senior NHS management posts at board and CEO level, including overseeing the success regime for Mid and South Essex. Prior to joining Basildon and Thurrock hospitals as Managing director in 2018 , he spent five years as NHSE’s director of commissioning operations for the NHSE East of England. He assumed responsibilities as MSEFT COO in 2021.

Christine Blanshard

A photo of Dr Christine Blanshard, Chief medical officer 2024

Chief Medical Officer

Christine has held senior leadership roles in a number of acute trusts including Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust where she was Medical Director for nine years and acted as Gold Command for their highly-praised response to the Novichok poisonings.  

She then took on a regional role as Medical Director for Strategy and Transformation within NHS England South West and, most recently, was Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Diane Sarkar

DIane Sarkar

Chief Nursing and Quality Officer (voting)

Diane's experience spans the NHS and private healthcare. After training at The Royal Free Hospital in London, she worked in a number of London's large acute hospitals and progressed through several operational and corporate management positions. In 1996, Diane worked in the private sector at the Wellington Hospital, setting up new governance frameworks and leading on the quality agenda.

Having completed a Master's degree, Diane returned to the NHS in 2001 at Southend Hospital, as Associate Director of Operations for Medicine and then Associate Director of Nursing. Appointed in 2010, her focus has been particularly around developing the nursing workforce, as well as leading on a number of corporate agendas, including quality improvement and the patient safety and patient experience agenda.

 

Dawn Scrafield

Dawn Scrafield

Chief Finance Officer (voting)

Dawn is a highly experienced, values driven senior NHS leader with a strong reputation as an effective problem solver, with drive, determination, energy and imagination to deliver high quality, cost effective services to patients. Dawn is a qualified and seasoned finance professional with over 27 years' experience at senior and board levels, with a successful track record of achievements operating as a Director and Deputy Chief Executive in complex multi-site NHS organisations. Prior to Mid and South Essex, Dawn supported the successful merge of Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals, to form East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust.

A strong team player with an excellent reputation for achieving significant results across a broad range of portfolios including, corporate leadership and strategy, financial improvement, performance management, and turnaround in challenged organisations.

Fiona Ryan

Fiona Ryan managing director Basildon

Managing Director Basildon (non-voting)

Fiona moved to the UK from Ireland to fulfil her ambition to become a radiographer in the mid 1990s. Various NHS posts that followed led her from Hertfordshire, via London, to Essex - to live once more by the sea. Fiona was Director of Operations before being seconded into the Managing Director role for Basildon Hospital.
Passionate about supporting clinical teams to achieve their full potential, Fiona is an enthusiastic and optimistic leader who works to keep patient care as the focus.

Sarah Tedford

A portrait of interim Managing Director for Care Group 2

Interim Managing Director for Care Group 2 (non-voting)

Sarah started her NHS career as a nurse at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and has since held roles with NHS England, as Chief Operating Officer at Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, and as CEO for both Manchester Royal Infirmary and The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Dena Marshall

A portrait Blue background of Dena Marshall, interim Managing Director for Care Group 3

Interim Managing Director for Care Group 3 (non-voting)

Dena has more than 20 years’ board-level experience in the NHS, including as the Chief Executive of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Managing Director at Barts Health NHS Trust, and the Chief Operating Officer at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Michelle Stapleton

Michelle Stapleton

Acting Managing Director Care group 4 (non-voting)

Michelle qualified as a nurse 30 years ago and spent her initial career working in cancer and palliative care settings and has a very broad NHS experience working across acute, community and mental health organisations. She also has a lot of experience working within wider systems and organisations including local authority and hospice. For past 14 years Michelle has worked in senior manager and director-level roles with a focus on the transformation of patient pathways and new models of care to support the changing demographic for the people we serve in our communities.

Nicki Abbott

A profile picture of Nicki Abbott, managing director of Women's and Children's services

Interim Managing Director for Care Group 5, Women's and Children's (non-voting)

Nicki joined our Trust in October 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience in the NHS. Starting at St. Mary's Hospital post-graduation, her career has spanned a diversity of roles, including leadership positions highlighting her expertise in operational leadership. Nicki served as General Manager for Surgical Services at Basildon Hospital from 2007 to 2012. Four years later, she joined Barking, Havering, and Redbridge Trust as Divisional Manager for Women and Children, subsequently becoming the Hospital Director at Queen's Hospital. 

Nicki is particularly passionate about governance and ensuring that all voices are heard, including those of frontline staff, minoritized groups, and children.

Lynsey Cross

Lynsey Cross

Non-Executive Director (independent, voting)

Lynsey brings a proven track record of driving substantial business and cultural change in complex, global organisations across Investment Banking, Wealth and Asset Management, Insurance, and the public sector. Her expertise includes managing intricate operational and digital change programmes, directing the integration of newly acquired entities and implementing cross geographical initiatives to rationalise cost, facilitate growth and increase profitability. 

Lynsey currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer at Rothschild and Co Global Advisory.  Prior to her appointment to the MSEFT Board, Lynsey served as an associate non-executive director at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals since September 2019. She has also been Chair of Diversity and Inclusion at the Insurance Institute London. 

Dave Hughes

David Hughes

Non-Executive Director (voting)

Dave is pursuing a portfolio career combining non-executive, and trustee roles following a highly successful senior executive career with British Telecom including over 15 years board level experience creating and transforming high technology businesses.

Dave is passionate about helping the community by utilising the business skills he has developed to help other organisations, something he has already experienced as Deputy Chair of Papworth Hospital and a Director of Paradigm Trust, Vice chair of Health Tech Enterprise and as a Trustee of Let’s Talk Reading.

Julie Parker

Julie Parker

Non-Executive Director (voting) 

Julie is an experienced non-executive director with strong finance and corporate governance expertise.  She has been a Director of Resources and Finance with an excellent track record in providing strategic direction, strong financial management and effective support services.  Her experience spans the London Borough of Haringey, Tower Hamlets and Barking and Dagenham. She has extensive audit committee experience including the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, Essex Fire and Rescue and Essex Police. Prior to her appointment to the MSE Board, Julie was a non-executive director of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust and its predecessor Colchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since April 2014.

Margaret Pratt

Margaret Pratt

Non-Executive Director (independent, voting)

Margaret is a CIPFA accountant who has worked in and with NHS organisations in senior roles for over 35 years. She has a track record as a non-executive director in a range of public service organisations, and is currently also a member of the Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board. Prior to her appointment to the MSEFT Board, Margaret was a non-executive director at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals from April 2018.

Caroline Stanger

Caroline Stanger

Non-Executive Director (voting)

Caroline is a specialist in healthcare leadership, organisational development and digital transformation. She has a nursing background and 25 years experience in the NHS, latterly working in strategic workforce roles.

In addition to her Non Executive Director role, Caroline works as an Associate Partner in IBM's Healthcare and Life Sciences Consulting Practice.

Barbara Stuttle CBE

Barbara Stuttle CBE

Non-Executive Director (voting)

Barbara has a long and successful nursing experience that spanned 53 years of NHS experience.  She has worked in all areas of the NHS during this time to assist in improving the quality of care and services across England. Since 2013, Barbara has been working within special measures Trusts leading and developing nurses to ensure that sustainable improvements in care for patients are delivered.  During her career she has undertaken two Department of Health roles. One led on the implementation of non-medical prescribing across the UK and the other role supported the implementation of new technologies in health.

Barbara was honoured with a CBE in 2004 for her services to the NHS. Prior to her appointment to the MSEFT Board, Barbara had been a non-executive director at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals since April 2018.

Managing conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality

To review the Trust’s register of interests, please visit MyDeclarations portal at https://mse.mydeclarations.co.uk.