About Us

Dr Jon Cooper, Local Postgraduate Dean, Yorkshire & the Humber  

Jon qualified in Liverpool (1995) before undertaking medical training in Merseyside and later, Yorkshire and the Humber. He has been a Consultant Geriatrician and Stroke Physician at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 2005 where he has previously led the stroke service and was Director of Postgraduate Dental and Medical Education from 2014-2020 before being appointed as Postgraduate Dean in Yorkshire and the Humber, overseeing a transformation of education culture and delivery regionally. He has held a number of other training roles from RCP College Tutor to Training Programme Director for Stroke Medicine, Core Medical Training. He has also previously chaired the Stroke Medicine sub-specialty Advisory Committee and Geriatric Medicine Specialty Certificate Examination Standard Setting Group. He is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor of Medical Education, University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators.

 

 

James Spencer, Dental Dean - Dental Directorate

James qualified as a dentist from the University of Bristol in 1987. He went on to undertake his specialist Orthodontic Training at the Eastman Dental Hospital in London. James is currently an NHS consultant at Pinderfields General Hospital and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Leeds Dental Institute. He was previously theTraining Programme Director for Orthodontics in Yorkshire and Associate Dental Dean with responsibility for Specialty and Core training. As Dental Dean Mr Spencer is responsible for specialty, core and foundation Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) and for the development of the dental workforce. He continues to lecture widely in the UK and abroad and is still actively involved in the teaching and training. James is the Dental Dean for the Dentistry Directorate.

 

 

Miss Fiona Bishop, Deputy Postgraduate Dean - Learner Support and Faculty Development, Revalidation Directorate

Fiona is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with an interest in vitreo-retinal surgery at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Originally from Newcastle and a graduate from the University of Manchester, Fiona came to Yorkshire as a specialty Postgraduate Doctor in Training (PGDiT) and never left. She has had an interest in education throughout her career undertaking various roles, including College tutor, Training Programme Director and from 2013 – 2021 was an Associate Dean. She chairs the Curriculum Committee at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Fiona has found a way of combining her interest in different cultures, with her love of teaching, in work with the World Sight Foundation. Her particular educational interests include fairness in training and addressing differential attainment. Fiona is the Deputy Dean responsible for Learner Support and Faculty Development as well as Revalidation.

 

 

Jon Hossain, Deputy Postgraduate Dean - Quality Directorate

Jon has been a Consultant Vascular Surgeon in Yorkshire since 2001 with a special interest in Venous Disease and Lymphoedema. He went to Medical School at King’s College, London and trained as a Surgical Registrar in North West London. Jon has significant interest in medical education and training and has been a member of the Deanery faculty in Yorkshire since 2007. He is a member of the Court of Examiners for the Royal College of Surgeons in England. He has been a Deputy Postgraduate Dean since 2014 and is the Regional Director of Quality. Nationally he is the Lead Dean for Respiratory Medicine, Clinical Haematology and Less Than Full Time Training, He is part of the National Equaity, Diversity and Inclusion group. Jon is the Deputy Dean for the Quality Directorate.

 

Mr Willy Pillay, Deputy Postgraduate Dean - Specialty Training Programmes Directorate

 

 

Caroline Mills, Deputy Postgraduate Dean - Primary Care School - awaiting info

Caroline is the Deputy Dean for the Primary Care School.

Dr Andrew Brennan, Associate Dean - Specialty Training Programmes Directorate

 

Dr Nicki Doddridge, Associate Dean - Learner Support and Faculty Development Directorate

Nicki has been an Associate Dean with NHS England Yorkshire and the Humber since 2018. Nicki is an Acute Physician by training and graduated from Sheffield University Medical School in 1997. Nicki was TPD for Acute Medicine in South Yorkshire from 2009 to 2016 and has been a coach with NHS England since 2018. In addition to the core duties of an Associate Dean, her areas of work are ARCP development, Careers and Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) Career Support, Faculty Development.

Dr Usha Kuchimanchi, Associate Dean - Revalidation Directorate

Usha obtained her MBBS and MD degrees from the Grant Medical College, Mumbai and has worked in the UK since 1991. She trained in STI and HIV (Genitourinary) Medicine at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and St Thomas’ Hospital, London.  Since 2002, she has worked as a Consultant Physician with City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) CIC, Hull.  She has been Associate Dean since 2016. Her particular interests include addressing issues of inequity and differential attainment.

 

 

 

Mr Andrew Lockey, Associate Dean - Quality Directorate

Susy leads on the multidisciplinary Future Leaders Programme and is involved in Learner Support and Faculty Development, and in Professional Support for Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs).  She also runs the Y&H Coaching Scheme for Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs).  Susy trained in Public Health and has worked in a variety of health systems in the NHS and overseas, and for and with acute trusts, health authorities, primary care groups, primary care trusts, a strategic health authority, clinical commissioning groups, Public Health England and NHS England. She was Training Programme Director for Public Health between 2010 and 2019 and became an Associate Dean in 2013. Susy is trained in NHS Leadership Academy 360 appraisal, Action Learning Set facilitation, Thinking Time Coaching and facilitation, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Strength Deployment Inventory, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hogan psychometric tools. 

 

 

Ros Roden, Associate Dean - Learner Support and Faculty Development Directorate - awaiting info

Dr Elizabeth Stonell, Associate Dean - Learner Support and Faculty Development Directorate

Dr Liz Stonell

Liz is a GP partner, working at Orchard Croft Medical Centre, Horbury, Wakefield for 16 years. She graduated from Leeds University in 2003, and has stayed in the area since then. Liz has a keen interest in education, and is the lead Trainer within the practice. She was a TPD on the local training scheme until April 2023, and is now joint Associate Dean for training support within the GP school. Liz has had an interest in neurodiversity, and the impact that this has on education, and has led on neurodiversity within the GP school for 2 years. She also now provides support to educators around neurodiversity.

 

Andy Bolton, Associate Dean - SAS Directorate - awaiting info

James Tomlinson, Associate Dean - Quality Directorate

 

James is a Consultant Spinal Surgeon in Sheffield, and completed his Basic and Higher Surgical training in Yorkshire. He is an Associate Dean for Quality. He is passionate about improving postgraduate training and has supervised a number of leadership fellows working on improvements in education and training. He is a member of the SAC for Trauma and Orthopaedics, and was previously the Academic TPD for T&O in the region.  He also has an interest in Non-Technical skills and teaches nationally and internationally for the RCSEd NOTSS faculty.

 

 

Adam Burns, Associate Dean - Quality Directorate 

Adam is a Consultant in Acute Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.  He is an Associate Dean for Quality. He studied in Leeds and completed acute care common stem and higher specialist training locally.  He is a former Yorkshire and the Humber Leadership and Simulation Fellow.   He has an interest in human factors, patient safety, and technical skills simulation having developed non-technical skills courses and procedural simulation for medical Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs).   At an undergraduate level, he leads the acute and critical care integrated core unit at the University of Leeds. In this role, he has developed a new undergraduate acute care curriculum and integrated patient safety in the higher years of undergraduate training.

 

 

Joseph Vere, Dental Associate Dean - Dental Directorate

Qualifications: BDS, MMedSci (Dental Implantology), MPros, FDS (Rest Dent), PhD.

Joe graduated from Cardiff Dental School in 1999. He undertook specialist training in restorative dentistry at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, Sheffield, between 2010 and 2015. Prior to 2010 he spent 11 years working primarily in general dental practice. Joe was appointed as a full-time Consultant in Restorative Dentistry in Leicester, in 2015, and he continues to enjoy this role. He completed a PhD, analysing the importance of evidence-based medicine, at the University of Sheffield, in 2018. Joe was appointed as Associate Dental Dean for Dental Workforce Development across Yorkshire and the Humber in January 2020. Joe has always had a keen interest in dental education. He has delivered postgraduate courses for dentists and dental care professionals since 2008 and was Training Programme Director for Restorative Dentistry across South Yorkshire and Leicester between 2016 and 2019. He completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education in 2019. Joe understands the interface between primary and secondary care and he is keen to support the upskilling of dental care professionals and the development of managed care networks across the region.  

 

Ghazala Ahmad-Mear, Dental Associate Dean - Dental Directorate - awaiting info

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Balmer, Dental Associate Dean- Dental Directorate - awaiting info

Jason Atkinson, Dental Associate Dean- Dental Directorate - awaiting info

Helen Cattermole, Primary Care Associate Dean - Primary Care School

Helen is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She has clinical interests in trauma and metastatic bone disease, and spent 15 years with the Royal Army Medical Reserves. Educationally, she has held a number of roles including College Tutor, Core Surgical Training Programme Director, Guardian of Safe Working and Director of Medical Education, achieving successful service and training transformations in each role. As a non-GP Associate Dean within the Primary Care School, she leads on secondary care issues and works on differential attainment within the School. Helen is also Head of the Yorkshire and Humber Generalist School, implementing the Enhancing Generalist Skills programme in the region. She holds a national role with NHS England as Clinical Advisor to the Enhancing Generalist Skills Programme, is Vice-Chair of the Core Surgical Training Committee of the JCST, and is a Council Officer for Medical Education Leaders UK. Helen has a Masters in Medical Education, and is currently studying for a PG Cert in Clinical Practice, Management and Education using her learning from the ‘enhance’ programme.

 

Katie Cobb, Head of Function

Katie has worked at NHS England for the past 10 years, leading first the Postgraduate Dean’s office function and later the Learner Support and Faculty Development Directorate.  Katie’s background is Medical Education, having worked in Trust-based Medical Education teams since she graduated in 2002.

Katie is a workplace mediator and a former Freedom to Speak up Guardian.  She firmly believes that our staff and doctors and dentists in training should work within a safe, open and honest culture and Katie does all she can to instil those ways of working in all she does.

 

 

Julie Platts, Senior Quality Lead - Quality Directorate

Julie was Regional Multiprofessional CPD Manager in the Regional Postgraduate Dental Office on joining NHS England in 1997. During her time in this role, she gained a BA (Hons) in Health and Social Care Management with Sheffield Hallam University and a Master’s in Business Administration with the Open University.  Since 2014 she has held roles within the Quality Team and is currently Senior Quality Lead for North East and Yorkshire. Julie is passionate about the improvement in the quality of education and training across all learner professions.

Emma has worked in NHS education & training for 20 years, based in Yorkshire and the Humber since 2017. As Business Manager in the Specialty Training Programmes Directorate, she has responsibility for a number of Postgraduate Schools (Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Paediatrics, Pathology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Surgery) and also leads on specialty training expansion and distribution in the region, which incorporates the national METIP and Addressing Health Inequalities programmes. In addition, Emma is a champion of wellbeing, trained in Mental Health First Aid and Mindfulness.

 

 

 

Calum Smith, Business Manager - Primary Care School - awaiting info

 

 

 

 

Nick Sowerby, Senior Business Manager - Specialty Training Directorate

 

To contact staff working within the team please go to Contact Us.

For general enquires, please contact england.england.postgraduatedeansoffice.yh@nhs.net 
 

Offices

NHS England has three offices:

• Hull (Willerby Hill)
• Leeds (Blenheim House)
• Sheffield (Don Valley House)

For more details go to 'Our Offices'.