Nottinghamshire Healthcare - Executive Directors

Positive about mental health and learning disability

Professor Mike Cooke CBE

Mike is an experienced Chief Executive who joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare in June 2007. He has worked in many Trusts and NHS organisations around the country. He has experience working at Regional level and has a real understanding of the Acute Hospital, Mental Health and Primary Care sectors.

Mike graduated from Loughborough and Sheffield Universities and has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Staffordshire University. He led South Staffordshire Healthcare Trust’s successful application for Foundation Trust status in the first wave of applications from mental health organisations, and the subsequent acquisition of Shropshire Mental Health and Learning Disability Services.

He helped found and chaired the Foundation Trust Network Mental Health Steering Group, was an Independent Governor of Staffordshire University and a member of the Mental Health NHS Confederation Policy Committee. Mike was a Healthcare Commission reviewer and chaired the Workforce Development Confederation.

Mike is now a Special Professor in Healthcare Innovation and Learning at Nottingham University Business School and was runner up in the NHS Leader of the Year 2009.

Currently, Mike is on the National Institute for Health Research Advisory Board and Chairs the local Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire Collaboration in leading Applied Research. He also is lead Chief Executive in NHS East Midlands for Leadership Development and Chair of the East Midlands Leadership Academy. Mike was awarded a CBE in the Queen's 2011 New Year Honours for services to mental health.

Dr Peter Miller

Peter became the medical director in the trust in April 2006, following the retirement of Dr Richard Turner. Prior to this Peter had been a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist for 10 years, and had been at various points clinical director of CAMHS services, training programme director, and clinical governance lead. Peter’s interests are in the professional development of consultants and the delivery of high quality clinical services, supported by audit, research and appropriate use of information. Peter still works actively as a clinician with interests in ADHD, and children in care.

Outside of work Peter is married and the father of four children, with much of his spare time given to supporting them in their variety of sporting and musical endeavours. His interests lie in hill walking, skiing and tending an overgrown vegetable plot.

Dr Mike Harris

Dr Mike Harris is the Executive Director with responsibility for high secure provision at Rampton Hospital; medium secure units at Arnold Lodge in Leicester and Wathwood Hospital in Rotherham the Community Forensic Services, including low secure beds for Nottinghamshire., Offender Health in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and the Trusts Capital Planning team and strategy. Dr Harris is based at Rampton Hospital. Mike continues to do outpatient psychiatry in the North of the county as well as assessing people for the GMC and NMC

Before coming to Rampton Hospital, Dr Harris worked at St Andrews Hospital, Northampton as Medical Director.

Prior to moving to St Andrews, Dr Harris was Medical Director and Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and before that a Consultant General Psychiatrist in the NHS in Nottingham. Dr Harris has also been a sub-dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and previously, for 14 years, a member of the Nottinghamshire Area Probation Committee and for 6 years, a member of the Rampton Hospital Advisory Committee. Mike remains a Trustee of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and various BMA, Royal College and other professional committees.

During his 9 years with the current Trust Mike Harris spent nearly two years as Acting Chief Executive and has seen the rebuilding and refurbishment of most of Rampton hospital, much of Arnold Lodge and the development of many capital projects in the Trusts local services.

Outside of work Mike likes DIY, walking, travelling, music and the theatre and is very involved with the local Jewish Community.

Ruth Hawkins

Ruth has been a Director of Finance in the NHS for 16 years, including spells with an NHS Trust, a Health Authority and a Primary Care Trust. She spent 8 years as Director of Finance at Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare, one of this Trust’s founder organisations.

Ruth came to the Trust from Nottingham City PCT where she was Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive. In this role she led the financial management of the PCT, with an annual resource limit of £380m.

Ruth has a BA in Public Administration and gained her chartered status with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in 1986.

Ruth, who lives in Derbyshire, is married, and enjoys spending time away from work with her daughter as well as enjoying the company of friends and family.

Simon Smith

Simon joined the Trust in January 2007 as Executive Director: Local Services. He came to the Trust from Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust where he was Directorate Manager for Adult and Older Persons Mental Health Services.

Simon started his career in the NHS as a clerk in the causality department of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, and has since worked in a variety of settings and regions of the UK. However for the last 15 years his focus has been solely with Mental Health and Learning Disability services where he believes the real challenge of service delivery lies. Simon is strongly committed to delivering positive strategic change to improve the experience of those who use our services, and works with a strong set of public sector values.

Simon began his career fallowing a BA in Politics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, which he has complimented with Business School experience at INSEAD European School of Business Administration, and study for a Public Service MBA at the University of Birmingham, School of Public Policy. Simon is a bread maker and cook in his spare time.

Paul Smeeton

Paul Smeeton is Chief Operating Executive for the Community Services Division of the Trust.

Paul has been with the Trust since 2002 when he joined as Head of Health Informatics. He then became Director of Business Development and Marketing, leading on the future development of the Trust as the NHS becomes more competitive and market driven. He first joined the NHS in 1986 as a general management trainee working in Preston and has held various jobs in the NHS ever since.

Paul has an MBA from the University of Durham, 1997; a Diploma in Managing Health Services, Open University, 1990 and an Upper Second, Joint Honours in Geography and Anthropology BA, University of Durham 1986.

Paul's hobbies include his family, politics, history, walking, reading and he is a long suffering supporter of Newcastle United.

Janet Sheard

Janet joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare from NHS Nottingham City where she was Director of Service Provision.

She is building on the excellent work of the Nursing and Allied Health Professions Directorate and brings with her consummate communications skills and considerable Board and Executive experience.

Janet has a demonstrable record of achievement and extensive experience in change management and leadership, underpinned by broad experience as a highly skilled professional senior nurse who has worked in Primary and Secondary Care.

Janet promotes inter agency working at strategic and operational levels including involvement with the voluntary sector.

Janet was born in Nottingham and has lived and worked in the area most of her life. She has spent her full career in the NHS, in nursing and management, both in acute and primary care settings.