The South Thames Paediatric Network Core Team come from a variety of backgrounds; management, nursing, medical and administration. They come with a wealth of skills, knowledge spanning decade long careers both outside and within the NHS. Both clinical and non-clinical skills paired with a drive to improve the healthcare for children and young people ensures that change and transformation management are at the forefront of the STPN’s core team.
Feilim has worked as a Consultant Paediatric Urologist in St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2007 after coming to London temporarily for 6 months in 2005 from Dublin. Prior to this he trained in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
He has been fortunate to work as a clinical director for paediatrics in SGUH and being the Secretary to the British Association of Paediatric Urologists prior to joining the network as the clinical lead for Surgery in Children (Sic) in 2018. Since then, he has had the privilege to work with many talented and caring individuals both within the STPN and at members trusts. Together we have been able to improve services for children with forearm fractures, spinal issues, tonsillitis, appendicitis and testicular torsion, to name both a few. Over the years the STPN has shown itself to be sensible, fair and apolitical with our only interest in enabling better care and outcomes for the children.
As an organisation we have grown and matured and thus we will meet the new challenges together with dedication and focus. As always Feilim is here to serve the network, every member of staff who cares for children in every hospital and our children, young people and families.
Ryan is Consultant Neonatologist at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, working on the Trevor Mann Baby Unit since 2004. He has been fortunate to have a leadership role on behalf of children’s services in Brighton since 2007 when the new Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital opened and has enjoyed working closely with neighbouring Trusts, Evelina London and Kings to establish and develop a range of specialised services for children across Sussex and beyond.
Ryan was joint Clinical Director of the Maternity, Children and Young People’s strategic clinical network from 2013-2016 where he worked on plans for transition to adult services and community paediatric nursing. He is currently Chief of Specialised Services at University Hospitals Sussex and has been a Board member of the STPN since its inception representing Sussex providers as well as those he led in Brighton and Haywards Heath. He is looking forward to building on the legacy of Marilyn McDougall’s leadership and working with Feilim and everyone involved with the network to champion the cause of children, young people and their families.
Sally is a Registered General Nurse with a Masters Degree in Leadership & Management, and has had a 20 year clinical career as a Registered Genetic Counsellor at Guy’s Hospital. A CASS Business School course in 2013 ignited a passion for service improvement leading to a change of career direction into strategy and transformation in 2016 when Sally moved to Evelina London to work on a cross site programme with King’s College Hospital focusing on Cardiology and ENT pathways, and to set up a Deep Brain Stimulation Service on the Evelina site. Sally first joined the STPN as locum manager in summer 2019 for 3 months, and again as manager in May 2020.
Sally has a passion for developing and leading teams to implement and delivery of high quality care for children, young people and their families. She enjoys the challenge of cross organisational working and reaching a common goal.
After graduating with a degree in Sociology and Philosophy, Magda initially pursued a career in academia as a junior lecturer before making the move to the NHS. Over the past decade, she has worked across operational, programme, and network roles, gaining a wealth of experience in healthcare systems and service improvement.
Magda has a strong passion for tackling health inequalities, with a particular focus on improving paediatric care. There is so much to do, and she is driven by the opportunity to create meaningful change in children’s healthcare. She believes in the power of collaboration and the impact that networked working can have in driving progress. By bringing together expertise, sharing best practices, and fostering collective learning, we can make a real difference in the lives of patients and their families. She looks forward to working with colleagues to develop innovative solutions and improve outcomes for children and young people.
David is the informatics lead for the STPN. He has 18 years’ experience in a range of NHS analytic roles, supporting day-to-day operational management and strategic decision-making at both provider and commissioner levels. Coming from a background in coding audit, he has a particular interest in Clinical Coding, HRG’s and tariffs.
Laura is the Lead Nurse for the Surgery in Children ODN. She is familiar with the hospitals across the region, having worked with South Thames Retrieval Service for many years. Laura is particularly keen to support nurses, and the wider MDT, looking after children on any surgical journey and hopes to share learning between specialist services and the rest of the network.
Sarah is our lead nurse for Critical care with extensive experience in Critical Care nursing. Sarah brings three decades of expertise in Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing, General Paediatrics and Specialist nursing in Paediatric surgery and urology. With a strong foundation in clinical decision making, patient assessment and advanced therapies she is committed to delivering exceptional care and improving outcomes for critically ill children. Sarah has also had the opportunity to work in both District General hospitals as well as Tertiary centres.
As well as being a Registered Nurse in Paediatrics, Sarah has also successfully completed her Masters in Advanced Nursing Practice at London South Bank University.
In her leadership role with the STPN Sarah is dedicated to regional service coordination, workforce development and quality improvement in Paediatric Critical care. Sarah is passionate about enhancing patient and family experience while fostering a culture of excellence in Critical care.
Sammy is the AHP Clinical Lead for the Tony Hudgell Rehabilitation Programme. Sammy is a Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist by professional background, with over 11 years of experience working in paediatrics, including community, in-patient and educational settings.
Sammy’s passion for paediatric rehabilitation has flourished over the course of her personal and professional development. Her knowledge and skills have been developing and consolidating through practice in recent years. Sammy has a Masters degree in Advanced Professional Practice in Neurorehabilitation from Plymouth University.
Joanne is the Senior Project Manager for the Surgery in Children ODN. With a strong foundation in both operational delivery and strategic development, Joanne brings extensive experience from previous roles at University College London Hospitals and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Currently, Joanne is studying for a Master’s in Healthcare Leadership at the University of Manchester as part of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme, further strengthening her leadership expertise within the NHS. She is passionate about improving paediatric care and driving system-wide collaboration to deliver better outcomes for children and young people.
Becky is a registered children’s nurse and a qualified teacher in medical education. She has spent most of her career working with children with complex needs – both in rehabilitation and palliative care settings. Becky moved from nurse management to education after realising she had a passion for supporting clinical staff in their learning and development. Becky has an interest in simulation training and has published work on embedding simulation training in a paediatric palliative care setting.
Becky has joined the network to continue her own learning and with a passion to support others in theirs. She is keen to support the network by continuing to deliver high quality training and learning opportunities.
Karen is our Deputy Clinical Nurse Educator, supporting the delivery of the STPN education programme.
Kazeem is our Educator Administrator, working alongside our clinical and deputy nurse educator in supporting the delivery of the STPN education programme.
Mary Aklog is Business Support Manager at South Thames Paediatric Network. Mary is an Accounting and Finance graduate. Having worked as a Hub Leader in the Barclays Bank PLC for 10 years, she joined the NHS in 2019 bringing her management and financial accounting skills. Mary worked in management team in different departments of Evelina Children’s Hospital and joined STPN in 2022. She has passion for making lives much easier for both patients and her team using the skills and knowledge she acquired.
Currently, Mary is studying Data Analysis and Engineering to equip herself with skills to make data driven decisions, solve complex problems.
