Originally appointed Associate Non-Executive Director 1 October 2019, Non-Executive Director from 1 November 2021
Professor Louise Toner is a nurse, midwife and academic by professional background; she has a wealth of experience working with the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and within the higher education sector again across all countries, bar Northern Ireland. Since moving into higher education, she has maintained strong partnership working with colleagues within health and social care across all sectors; she is a member of the UK Universities Council of Deans. In her current role Louise has responsibility for advising the faculties on our academic portfolio ensuring it is the right offering to meet the workforce needs of employers and the personal and professional development needs of qualified health and social care professionals. She is a member of the Birmingham and Solihull Education Partnerships Group established to enable universities, NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers to work together to recruit and retain students to facilitate sufficient qualified staff entering the workforce. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. In addition, she is a member of the British Commonwealth Association (BCA), chairing their Education Subgroup and representing the BCA on the Greater Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham/West Midlands.
Louise has also worked for a hugely successful charity in the UK – Macmillan Cancer Support where she was responsible for an Education Development Programme for specialist nurses in Cancer and Palliative Care. She was previously Chair but is now Trustee of the Wound Care Alliance UK a charitable organisation who provide education and training for non-specialist healthcare staff both qualified and unqualified in the field of Tissue Viability. As a surgical ward sister in practice, Louise has a special interest in cancer care – the subject of her master’s degree awarded by the University of Glasgow. Her interest in Wound Care led to her establishing the faculty’s Wound Healing Practice Development Unit of which she is the Director. This Unit delivers specialist workshops by our Professors in Wound Healing, undertaking product evaluations often in association with product manufacturers.
Louise’s has experience of leading on overseas activities as a result of which she has been privileged to visit a number of countries meeting with government officials, leading academics and professionals. Along with other colleagues, she is in the process of securing funds to assist developing countries in terms of their healthcare education needs that include caring for older people, primary care, wound care, stoma care and maternity care.
In her role as NED Louise Chairs the Quality Governance Assurance and is a member of the Audit Committee. She says she continues to feel privileged to be part of such an innovative and forward-thinking trust who place improving patient outcomes and development of staff firmly at the centre of everything we do.
