Fiona has a track record of delivering sustained improvement in local services and achieving national targets within integrated mental health and learning disability services. She joined the NHS as a Graduate Management Trainee having graduated from Durham University and has over 20 years operational management, commissioning and project management experience. She recently completed the King’s Fund Athena Programme for women who are leaders in public sector organisations.
She brings the following experience with her:
• Strategic reviews
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Women’s Mental Health
• Capacity Planning
• Project Management
• Strategic Management
• Operational Management
• Partnership Working
• Financial Management
• Negotiation
Prior to joining Mental Health Strategies, Fiona was the Service Improvement lead at Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust. In this role she led reviews of the acute in-patient, in-patient rehabilitation, community mental health and crisis resolution and home treatment services. She also worked closely with the Trust’s Diversity and Inclusion Department, and was involved in a number of national initiatives including the Pacesetters Programme and the First Implementation Sites for Race Equality.
Fiona has experience of commissioning core and specialist mental health services including primary care based mental health services, eating disorder and personality disorder services at both PCT and Strategic Health Authority level. Whilst working across the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority area as Project Director of Strategic Mental Health Development, Fiona undertook a comprehensive review of expenditure on out of area treatments by the Surrey and Sussex PCTs and developed strategies leading to significant improvement in clinical and cost effectiveness.
Fiona works in a facilitative way using a range of service improvement tools to engage clinicians, service users, carers and the third sector in major change programmes. She has extensive experience in this area. A strong belief that individuals hold solutions within themselves underpins Fiona’s approach.
Fiona ‘s week-ends are spent with her family participating in and supporting a variety of activities including cycling, rowing and dancing. Fiona enjoys the creativity of cooking and gardening for relaxation and reading for complete quietness.
