Non-Executive Team
Dr Raj Kumar
National Chair
Dr. Raj Kumar is the National Chair of the NHS Clinical Leaders Network, which he co-founded and has led since its 2006 launch by the Department of Health. He practices as a frontline General Practitioner and serves as the Primary Care Medical and Transformation lead for a group of community-based primary care services across the North of England. Dr. Kumar is a strong advocate for integrating Health and Social care systems, contributing to the development of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership Board since its inception.
Passionate about IT innovation, he has held national leadership roles at the Department of Health, NHS Digital and now NHS England for over two decades. He is currently the Deputy Chief Medical Information Officer for NHS England. With a 30-year NHS career marked by numerous awards across Community Clinical Care transformation, IT innovation, and diversity leadership, Dr. Kumar was recognized as one of the “Top 50 NHS BAME pioneers” by the HSJ. He is committed to empowering frontline clinicians and care leaders to spearhead transformation efforts at all levels within the NHS through the NHS Clinical Leaders Network and his various roles.
Professor Jane Cummings CBE RN
National Vice Chair, Non-Executive Director: Nursing & Midwifery
Jane is the Vice-Chair at NHS Gloucestershire and the non-executive lead for system quality, integrated neighbourhood working and the UEC transformation programme. She has extensive executive and clinical experience in the NHS and also worked for the Department of Health delivering national priorities and while there, co-founded the CLN. She has also worked in Adult Social Care team at the Department of Health and Social Care.
She was Chief Nursing Officer for England for almost 7 years prior to her retirement in January 2019, which included being the executive lead for learning disabilities, equality, diversity, patient safety and patient experience. Jane was also the NHS England regional director for London for 15 months.
Jane has honorary doctorates from Edge Hill, New Bucks and Bradford Universities and is a visiting professor at Kingston University. Jane is Chair of the RCN Foundation, a charity which supports all nurses, midwives and health and care support staff across the UK.
David Davis
Non Executive Director: Allied Health Professionals
David is a Chief Clinical Information Officer at London Ambulance Service NHS Trust and continues to undertake frontline paramedic shifts with the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. An experienced leader with a record of successful delivery of innovation and development across a number of national programmes and initiatives as well as regional service transformation, David has driven substantial system changes around Integrated Urgent Care, NHS 111 workforce, telephone triage, clinical informatics, acute care pathways, stroke care, suicide prevention and mental health. Strengths around clinical leadership, networking, developing consensus, political engagement and collaborative working where patient care is a priority.
Formerly a Trustee of Thames Valley Air Ambulance, David is a Fellow of the College of Paramedics and Fellow of the British Computer Society and Federation for Informatics Professionals Leading Practitioner. He has previously worked as an AHP informatics national clinical lead within NHS England, the Department of Health and Health & Social Care Information Centre.
Dr Andy Knox MBE
Non Executive Director: Medical – Primary Care
Andy Knox is a husband, a dad and a friend. He is also Associate Medical Director in the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB and a GP Partner at Ash Trees Surgery, Carnforth. His work is primarily focused on improving Population Health and tackling Health Inequalities. He co-founded the LSC Population Health Equity Leadership Academy, is Population Health Associate at the King’s Fund, a member of the NHS Assembly, part of the Poverty Truth Commission, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Health at Lancaster University and has recently published hist first book, ‘Sick Society’. In 2023 he was awarded an MBE for services to General Practice. He is impressively tall when sat down and has a ridiculously loud laugh. He is often found singing on walks with his Springer Spaniel around the beauty that is Morecambe Bay.
Twitter: @drandyknox
Blog: reimagininghealth.com
Dr Fiona Chatten
Non Executive Director: Nursing – Integrated Care & Primary Care
Fiona is an Honorary Fellow with Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. She is a nurse, with Specialist Practice in District Nursing, and has maintained a strong sense of identity with nursing throughout her career. She has spent a number of years working in both clinical and academic research, as well as in workforce management and leadership across primary, community and wider system settings. She is passionate about the development of individuals and teams, and believes that with supportive leadership, we can all reach our potential. She has a PhD in professional identity in integration, which she uses to drive conversations, formal teaching sessions as well as policy and strategy development to strengthen professional groups within mixed-professional settings.
Fiona has a busy family life and loves escaping on walks in the Lake District with her husband and dogs.
Executive Team
Dr Andrew Coley
National Chief Clinical Officer
Dr Andrew Coley is a retired GP, the National Chief Clinical Officer and co-founder the NHS Clinical Leaders Network. He has has spent his career leading on regional and national transformation programmes, pursuing his passion of delivering improved population health through connectivity between clinicians and managers and maximising the benefits of technology.
Dr Coley has held a wide variety of roles throughout his career including Professional Executive Chair in East Cheshire, Chief Clinical Officer for Informatics for NHS North West, Clinical Director for Cheshire & Merseyside Strategic Clinical Networks and has held several National Clinical Lead roles.
Suzy Ning
National Operations Director
Suzy has over 20 years’ experience of working in the NHS across a wide range of provider, commissioner and arm’s length bodies and has supported the Clinical Leaders Network off and on since it was launched in 2006. Suzy’s career has focused on transformation, delivering change and empowering people (from the staff who deliver our services to the people who access them). Her roles have spanned across acute, mental health, commissioners and systems with strategic roles across regional and national programmes. Suzy is a trustee for the Brighter Living Partnership, a local charity supporting the community improve their health and wellbeing.
National Team
Dawn Black
National Operations Manager, Board Secretary
Dawn has 22 years management experience working in the private sector and brings her expertise to the NHS CLN managing the national central team. She has an MBA in Business Management and brings her strong financial and operational management business acumen to the central team. She coordinates all the NHS CLN operational activities and is the NHS CLN Board Secretary.