Nichola Sanderson

Role: Director of Nursing and Professions

What I do:

I lead on the professional development and standards of staff within the Trust which covers Nursing, Allied Health Professionals and Psychological Professions.  My particular focus is to ensure that quality is of a high standard across the organisation and I work closely with Dr Chris Hosker our Medical Director, to oversee the current quality and delivery of our services and shape these to best meet future needs.

How I contribute to improving the experience of service users and carers

I contribute to improving the experience of service users and carers in many ways but in particular by leading a team which works directly with service users to gather and share their insight and feedback about their experience whilst in our care. This feedback is a vital tool for us as it shows us where we’re getting things right and where there is still work to be done to improve our services.

My Experience:

I graduated from the University of Manchester with an Higher National Diploma in Mental Health Nursing in 2002 and started my career as mental health acute ward staff nurse at Greater Manchester West NHS Foundation Trust. In 2009, I took up a post of Modern Matron at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, before moving on to be a Nurse Consultant at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in 2011. There I helped set national benchmarks and clinical standards for good practise in unscheduled mental health care and led on suicide prevention. In 2014, I was appointed Associate Director of Nursing at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, taking responsibility for the provision of clinical leadership and management across inpatient and community services, as well as quality standards in safety, effectiveness and patient experience. I joined Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as Deputy Director of Nursing in April 2017 and was appointed as Director of Nursing, Quality and Professions on 1 June 2023.

Get in touch

You can contact Nichola by emailing nichola.sanderson@nhs.net