Meet the Team

Angela is a charted physiotherapist, but has held several executive director position in the NHS in acute hospitals. She then worked at the Department of Health before her retirement. She was co-opted onto the Board in 2014 and then became a Trustee in 2015, Angela serves on our HR, Strategy, Finance and Search Sub Committees.

Patricia is a GP in Durham with over 30 years of experience in a variety of clinical settings. She joined the Board in 2016 and serves on our Clinical Governance Sub Committee.

Linda has around 25 years experience with the public sector working in a range of roles in the Prison Service, and the Ministry of Justice in both operational and non operation roles.

Since retiring she has been involved with, and worked for voluntary sector and social enterprise organisations.

Linda joined the Hospice as a Trustee in December 2022, and is also a member of our HR and Governance Review subcommittee.

Karen retired from the NHS in January 2023 following nearly 40 years in nursing roles. Latterly, as a Deputy Chief Nurse in an Acute Trust but also serving as the first Chief Nursing Officer for Macmillan Cancer Support in a national role.

Peter has worked in the NHS for over 40 years, 30 years at director level. He was deputy chief executive at Gateshead Health NHS foundation trust.

Karen is an experienced HR Practitioner, now retired, with over 30 years’ experience in local NHS organisations, including over twenty years practice at senior management level.

Richard is a retired Chartered Accountant with over 40 years’ experience in industry working in a wide range of companies including over 20 years as finance director of J T Dove Limited a large regional builders merchant. Also spent many years as a pension trustee. He serves on the Finance Sub Committee.

Victoria has over 20 years of experience in commercial property matters, after joining Swinburne Maddison LLP in 1999 as a trainee solicitor, qualifying in 2001 and being promoted to Partner in 2006. Throughout her time at the firm, Victoria has worked in the property department, initially gaining residential property experience alongside her commercial property workload which has proved valuable when dealing with residential development matters.

Angela is a retired Consultant Medical Microbiologist. After retiring she worked as a Secondary Care Doctor for North Durham & Darlington CCGs. She previously served as a trustee at St Cuthbert’s Hospice for 9 years and has returned to the Board in 2024. She is a member of the Clinical Governance Sub Committee.

Susan worked in the NHS for 35 years until her retirement in 2022. She was a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon but also latterly held managerial roles, including Lead Cancer Clinician for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. Since April 2024 Susan has worked as a volunteer in one of St Cuthbert’s retail outlets. She was appointed as a Trustee in November 2024 and is a member of the Development Sub Committee.

Duncan is a retired Chartered Building Engineer with over 50 years experience in engineering, building development and maintenance, working the last ten years as a Technical Director. Since retiring he has worked at the hospice as a Health & Safety advisor and now as a volunteer on the estate’s and retail premises maintenance.

Joanne is a Civil Servant working as a Contract Manager in the Transformation and Technology directorate for HM Land Registry.

Previously, Joanne ran her own Supply Chain consultancy business in the telecoms and utilities sectors. Joanne has also worked as a Lecturer in the post compulsory education sector and prior to that worked in a Quality Management role for a multi-national pharmaceutical company.

Joanne has been a patient at the hospice following diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer.

George trained as nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead and over his career held many senior positions in nursing and nurse education at national, regional and locally in the north east. This included principal lecturer for the specialist community nurse practitioner programme at Northumbria University, Clinical Governance manager for Sue Ryder Care and Education manager at Hospice UK. His career in palliative care began as Director of Tynedale Hospice at Home before joining St Cuthbert’s Hospice as Deputy CEO and Head of Care Services retiring in 2020. He is proud to have been appointed as a Trustee of the Hospice in 2025.