Our Board

Biraj Parmar is currently serving as Acting Chair, having first joined the organisation as a Non-Executive Director in May 2023. With more than 25 years of experience in the investment and commercial banking industry, he has built a strong track record in financial, strategic, and people leadership.

Since retiring from finance in 2019, Biraj has served as a Non-Executive Director at a large acute NHS Trust in Hertfordshire before joining our Board. He brings valuable insight into the challenges faced by patients and healthcare providers across acute, community, and mental health settings. Biraj also has a particular personal interest in mental health care, especially in improving services for young people.

Outside of work, Biraj supports his wife, Beth, in running a cookery school and enjoys long country walks with their two dogs, Bruno and Enzo.

Ellen joined the Trust on 1st May 2025 as Chief Executive, bringing with her a wealth of experience from her previous role as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Strategy and Transformation at NHS Gloucestershire.

Ellen has a strong track record of working in collaboration with a wide range of partners, including the voluntary and community sector. She is known for being driven, dedicated and passionate about making things better for people, working alongside clinicians, other health and care professionals and patient representatives. Her focus is on preventing ill health, developing integrated person-centred care and supporting people to maintain independence.

Outside of work, Ellen likes to try to prioritise spending time outside - gardening, or going for a run to at least try to make an effort to keep fit! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert took up post with the Trust on 1 July 2011 as Director of Finance. He previously worked for the NHS Walsall, initially as Director of Resources from October 2008 and then from November 2010 as Interim Chief Executive.

Robert is qualified accountant and joined the NHS with the 1998 cohort of the national financial management training scheme, having previously worked in general management within the private sector.

 

I have over 20 years’ experience working in the National Health Service, and took up the role of Medical Director in 2018. Together with the Director of Nursing, I am responsible for quality of care and delivery of the clinical strategy in the Trust. I am responsible for the professional standards of doctors, dentists and pharmacists in the organisation and I oversee medicines management and psychological interventions. I am the Chief Clinical Information Officer and Caldicott Guardian. I am a consultant psychiatrist by background and undertake clinical work in the Learning Disability service in Worcestershire. Previously, I was the National Professional Advisor for Learning Disability at the Care Quality Commission and Chaired the Quality Network at the Royal College of Psychiatry. I am also a Medical Member of the First Tier Tribunal for Mental Health and the Lead Editor for learning disability and mental health at MindEd, Heath Education England. My interest areas are in systems leadership, strategy development, mentoring, advancing equities and population health management. I am also an active clinician researcher and have contributed to several book chapters, peer reviewed publications and national reports.

Natalie joined the Trust in April 2022 from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust where she was Deputy Director of Nursing and led the Trusts COVID-19 vaccination programme. Previous to this, Natalie was Head of Healthcare at HMP Birmingham, where she was responsible for operational and clinical management for the health services within the prison. Natalie is an RMN, has previously managed children’s mental health services, and has been a nurse consultant in mental health inpatient services. Natalie holds executive responsibility for Nursing, Allied Health Professionals, Psychological Professions, Safeguarding, Quality and is the Director for Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC).

Matthew is responsible for clinical service delivery and emergency planning. He joined the WHCT in May 2019, from Solent NHS Trust - where some of his previous roles were Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Clinical Director for Mental Health Services and Operations Director. He has worked in the NHS since 1990 and is a Registered Mental Health Nurse. He holds an MBA from the University of Leicester.

Sue was appointed in May 2012. Her Directorate responsibilities include strategy and business development, business planning, the Programme Management Office, marketing and communications, patient self-management and community engagement. Prior to a secondment to the Strategic Health Authority in 2011, Sue was, from 2009, Lead Commissioner for mental health services in Worcestershire. Prior to this role, she was a national director for Turning Point, a leading social enterprise, Sue has over 30 years of business development experience in the health and social care field across a range of sectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been in the NHS for over 25 years. Starting in a clinical role, I moved into the digital space as part of the National Programme for IT, which is where I have continued to build my career over the past 16 years.

I joined the Trust in April 2020 as Deputy Chief Information Officer, bringing with me 6 years of being both an Associate Director and Director of IT of the managed IT service for the Acute Trust, Mental Health Trust and Primary Care across Gloucestershire. Previous to this I had delivered a number of high-profile digital projects and programmes of work, including the deployment of a LIMS system across all Health Board throughout Wales.

I have a passion for taking a digital vision and making it a reality, ensuring the solutions deliver benefits for clinicians and patients or service users alike. The role of Director of Digital/CIO is vital to ensure the Trust continues to provide digital transformation, working with clinicians, colleagues and partners to ensure the optimisation of our digital and data services.

I am excited to move into the role of Director of Operations and Transformation.  I have held a variety of senior roles within the NHS, both within commissioning and provider organisations. Throughout my career in the NHS I have worked in a range of urgent care and planned care settings, always bring a focus to how we might improve or transform services, underpinned by strong programme management and oversight.  Before working in the NHS I worked for 10 years in industry in a range of commercial and strategy roles.

I am passionate about people. Without our great staff who go the extra mile every day for their patients we would not be able to provide high quality care.  I work to ensure we are creating a Compassionate and Inclusive Culture and the environment allows the delivery of efficient and effective care. When we are happy at work we are able to focus more of our energy to those who need us, out patients. As Director of Operations and Transformation I focused on developing the environment where our clinical and operational teams are able to deliver the best possible care within the resources available.

My family is the most important thing to me so my time is spent in helping one of my son’s football team and acting as a taxi.  As a family we like to go to the cinema and going for walks in the Wye Valley. In my spare time I like to swim, run and reading science fiction novels.

Dr Onyinye Okonkwo is a Non-Executive Director for Quality at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. She provides independent challenge and assurance to the Board on matters relating to clinical quality, patient safety, and service effectiveness.

A Senior GP Partner in Birmingham, she brings over 20 years of frontline and leadership experience, with a strong background in clinical governance and quality improvement.

Dr Okonkwo previously served as Associate Non-Executive Director for Quality at Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board and was also a member of the Integrated Care Partnership Board, contributing to the development of long-term strategy and quality oversight across the system.

She is a Trustee and Lead Examiner of the Royal College of General Practitioners and an Executive of Birmingham Local Medical Committee..

Outside of her professional roles, she mentors healthcare professionals and teaches medical students at the University of Birmingham and Aston University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Chair of the People & Culture Committee, Veena is committed to helping the Trust build a positive, inclusive and compassionate culture where everyone feels valued and supported to do their best work. She works closely with colleague across the organisation to keep people and culture at the centre of everything the Trust does, because when staff feel happy and respected, patients receive the very best care. 

With a legal background and 25 years’ experience running her own HR and Employment Law consultancy, Veena has supported organisations across a range of sectors to develop fair and effective employment practices. She also runs a management training and development company, helping leaders build the skills and confidence to get the best from their teams.

Outside of work, Veena lives in Worcestershire with her family and Murphy the dog, and loves spending time on the Malvern Hills, hiking, running (slowly!), and appreciating the peace and beauty of the landscape.

 

 

I previously worked for 30 plus years in the UK Civil Service in a wide variety of roles. In 2011 I moved to the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE) to become Chief Executive of Worcestershire Association of Carers - a local charity supporting unpaid carers. I've also been a VCSE representative on the Worcestershire Health and Wellbeing Board, the Herefordshire & Worcestershire (H&W) Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (and subsequently the H&W Integrated Care Partnership and Assembly). I'm currently 'semi-retired' also doing some freelance facilitation and supporting the Worcestershire VCSE Alliance.

I am passionate about making sure that patients, carers and all of us as residents of H&W have the opportunity to have meaningful conversations about what matters to us, and that we factor this into the design and delivery of services. Tackling unfairness and finding ways to include people who for whatever reason fall societal 'norms' the drives me to look for new and better ways of collaborating to tackle health inequalities.

I love most sports, have played hockey for Herefordshire and cricket for Middlesex and Worcestershire - I still play some veteran's cricket when I can. I'm a qualified lawn bowls coach, like learning just for the sake of it, enjoy exploring the UK in my camper van and am looking forward to having more time to spend with family in semi-retirement. 

Sue Hincks chairs the Charitable Funds Committee and the Assistant Hospital Managers' Forum. She is a member of the Quality and Safety Committee. 

Sue's background is in education and she continues to work in this field as Membership Director of the Girls' Schools Association and as a Governor of two schools, Trustee of a multi-academy trust, and a Governor at the University of Greater Manchester. 

Sue is committed to ensuring the best outcomes for children and young people. As a carer for her mum, she is also motivated by a desire to support older members of the community and their families. 

Sue enjoys walking in the Malvern hills and making the most of the beautiful countryside around Evesham.

Colin Horwath is a qualified accountant, who has spent his career working with the public sector. He was a partner with KPMG, based in Birmingham, for 20 years, leading audit and advisory assignments. His internal responsibilities included heading the national public sector practice.

Since leaving KPMG he continued his involvement with the public sector, serving as Deputy Chair of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust until May 2018. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Birmingham Children’s Trust, as well as a partner in a small executive recruitment and search firm, and Governor of a High School in Stafford.