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Executive Directors

Our trust has eight Executive Directors, Paul Scott (Chief Executive), Alex Green, Dr Milind Karale, Sean Leahy, Trevor Smith, Nigel Leonard, Professor Natalie Hammond who all hold their own portfolios.  Zephan Trent and Denver Greenhalgh sit on our board as non voting members:

Paul Scott - Chief Executive

Paul was appointed Chief Executive of EPUT in September 2020, having previously been Chief Financial Officer at Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, where he also led system development and integration.

Paul has extensive experience at board level and across the NHS. He held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, where he also led system development and integration. Prior to this he was Executive Director of Finance, Strategy and Performance at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, where he was responsible for leading long-term partnerships as well as information and IT.

He previously held senior roles in the East of England Ambulance Service and at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust. Paul is motivated by improving the way our health and care services work in partnership to deliver improvements to the services we provide.

Alex Green - Executive Chief Operating Officer

Alex was appointed as Executive Chief Operating Officer in December 2020.

She has a wealth of experience having worked in health and social care for more than 25 years

Alex Green was appointed as Executive Chief Operating Officer in December 2020.

Her portfolio of services includes mental health services, community physical health and learning disabilities across the Trust.

Previously she was the Director of Health and Care delivery for West Essex at EPUT and Essex County Council. She has a wealth of experience having worked in health and social care for more than 25 years.

Dr Milind Karale - Executive Medical Director

After completing his specialist training in Psychiatry from Cambridge and Eastern Deanery, Dr Karale joined as a Consultant Psychiatrist in 2007.

Dr Karale is a Consultant Psychiatrist, the trust's Caldicott Guardian and Executive Medical Director on the board of directors for EPUT.

After completing his specialist training in Psychiatry from Cambridge and Eastern Deanery, Dr Karale joined as a Consultant Psychiatrist in 2007. He has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in various services including Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, Assertive Outreach Team, Mental Health Assessment Unit, Community Mental Health Team, Crisis Team, Essex rTMS service and he currently provides clinical input to the Community Mental Health Team in Loughton, Essex.

Dr Karale is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and has a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Forensic Psychiatry (merit) from Institute of Psychiatry at Maudsley. He has been involved in medical management for the last twelve years, working as Clinical Director for Clinical Governance, Deputy Medical Director and Medical Director from 2012. As a Responsible Officer, he is responsible for the performance of doctors with prescribed connection to EPUT.

His areas of interest include; Medical Leadership, Patient Safety, Clinical Governance and Crisis & Mental Health Assessment Services. His interest in patient safety led him to organize several patient safety conferences and seminars. He was the member of Clinical Leaders Network on Patient Safety. He has keen interest in teaching and has written several chapters in books for MRCPsych examination. He is on the Board of Examiners for The Royal College of Psychiatrists. He chaired for the Anglia Ruskin University Health and Wellbeing Academy and worked for the Care Quality Commission as a Clinical Advisor in Psychiatry.

Milind’s portfolio includes:

  • Medical leadership and medical directorate
  • Research
  • Caldicott Guardian.

Sean Leahy - Executive Director of People and Culture

Sean is Executive Director of People and Culture, he has more than 20 years’ experience as an HR director.

Sean has been described as a modern influencer who is “approachable and hands-on” with “the ability to quickly build strong internal and external relationships at all levels of an organisation”.

Sean’s portfolio includes:

  • Marketing and Communications
  • Human resources
  • Organisational development
  • Payroll
  • Medical staffing
  • Training and development
  • Workforce planning
  • Freedom to Speak Up (Senior Responsible Officer (SRO)
  • Patient Services Experience/Complaints
  • Equality and diversity
  • Faith communities

Trevor Smith - Executive Chief Finance and Resources Officer

Trevor has worked as an Executive Director across a range of NHS services for more than 20 years.

Trevor has worked as an executive director across a range of NHS services for more than 20 years.

Before joining EPUT, Trevor was Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer at Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAH). During his time there Trevor actively supported PAH’s financial and quality improvements as well as securing funding for the hospital redevelopment.

Trevor's portfolio includes:

  • Business development
  • Contracting
  • Finance
  • IT
  • Information
  • Estates and Facilities.

Nigel Leonard - Executive Director of Major Projects and Programmes

Nigel is Executive Director of Major Projects and Programmes on the Board of Directors for EPUT.

Nigel Leonard is Executive Director of Major Projects and Programmes on the Board of Directors for EPUT.

Nigel has worked in the NHS for over 25 years in a variety of planning, governance and project management roles in acute, community and mental health organisations. He has worked as a Programme Director delivering changes in mental health services in Essex and recently led the roll out of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme across Mid & South Essex and Suffolk & North East Essex CCGs.

Nigel is a qualified company secretary and has an MSc in project management. He is also a member of the Association for Project Management.

Nigel’s portfolio includes:

  • Covid-19 Vaccination Programme
  • Roll out of the new Integrated Vaccination Service
  • Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry

Professor Natalie Hammond - Executive Nurse

Natalie is Executive Nurse of the board of directors for EPUT and Honorary Professor at the University of Essex and Visiting Professor at Anglia Ruskin University. She is also Chair of the national Mental Health & Learning Disability Nurse Directors Forum.

Natalie has responsibility for the professional leadership of the Nursing and Allied Health Professions (AHP) workforce ensuring care is delivered with compassion and safely meeting high quality standards to our service users. Specific responsibility for patient safety, service user experience and outcomes, end of life, safeguarding, Mental Health Act (MHA) administration, infection control, quality improvement, as well as pharmacy services. 

Natalie has undertaken research and service development in the fields of substance misuse, mortality and prevention of violence and aggression and holds an MSc from Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London.

Natalie is passionate about EPUT as an organisation that is ambitious in delivering the best to our people by all of our people for our communities.

Zephan Trent - Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Digital

Zephan was appointed as Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Digital in April 2022.

Zephan was appointed as Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Digital in April 2022.

Prior to this he was Director of Strategic Transformation / Locality Director at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the East of England, where his responsibilities included the regional mental health programme, the regional learning disability and autism programme, Integrated Care System development, and Strategic Change.

Zephan has a wide range of experience from senior roles in the NHS including strategy and policy development, strategic finance, transformation, analytics and business intelligence.

Denver Greenhalgh - Senior Director of Corporate Governance

Denver is Senior Director of Corporate Governance for EPUT.

Denver has worked in the NHS for more than 25 years. She began her career as a newly qualified podiatrist and then, working as a senior clinician, specialised in clinical biomechanics.

Her first leadership role was as a District Chief Podiatrist in 2002, since then she has worked in operational management and leadership roles in both community and hospital based services.

Denver has an MSc in Integrated Healthcare Governance and has been a Director of Governance for the past 8 years. Her most recent role prior to joining EPUT was Director of Governance at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, having been part of the leadership team that successfully delivered the merger of Colchester Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.

Denver is passionate about high quality, safe, compassionate care.

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