Director of Nursing to take early retirement

Cathy Woffendin, Executive Director of Nursing, Professions and Quality at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT), is to take early retirement in May this year.

Cathy, a qualified Registered General Nurse and Health Visitor by background, joined LYPFT in March 2018 from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust. She leaves the NHS after 39 years of dedicated service on the front line and in leadership roles.

Cathy has a wide portfolio at LYPFT. She leads on the professional development and standards of nurses, allied health professionals and psychologists; she focuses on quality and standards of clinical care, working closely with the Medical Director; and oversees how the Trust listens to and acts on feedback from service users and carers. Cathy also has executive responsibility for safeguarding, with an extensive background and expertise.

During the last five years Cathy has been instrumental in moving the organisation from a CQC rating of requires improvement to good. She also has responsibility for ensuring we protect our service users and staff from infections and as the Director of Infection Prevention and Control has been critical in navigating our organisation safely through the pandemic.

LYPFT Chief Executive Dr Sara Munro said: “Cathy has been an outstanding director, colleague and friend and will be very hard to replace. So we will make the most of her passion and expertise in her last few months and ensure we give her the send-off she deserves.”

Cathy added: “I always wanted to be a nurse and after 39 years of working in the profession I am still as proud and passionate and committed as the young 18 year old fledgling when I first started.

“Nursing for me is a vocation and I’ve had a wonderful career and journey, met and worked with some fantastic people and know that I have touched the lives of many patients, service users, carers and tried to help and care for them on their road to recovery.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working at LYPFT – the passion, compassion and dedication of our staff is immense. I have been extremely proud and feel very honoured to have worked with such wonderful people over the last five years, I will miss you all.”

The Trust will soon be launching a recruitment drive to find a replacement for Cathy.

 

Cathy Woffendin is a qualified nurse and has worked in a variety of organisations in the NHS and private sector for around 39 years. After getting her Nursing Diploma from the University of Huddersfield in 1996, she went on to gain a degree in Public Health Nursing from the University of Leeds. She then worked as a health visitor, developing a child health and safeguarding specialism.

Cathy moved into management in 2005 after achieving a master’s degree in management and leadership. She went on to work in mental health and learning disability services for around 12 years, rising to Deputy Director of Nursing, Children’s and Specialist Service at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust in 2015, before joining LYPFT as Director of Nursing, Professions and Quality in 2018.