TEAM
Team
Dr Vince Connolly MBChB, MD, FRCP
Vince is a graduate of Glasgow University and trained in General Medicine & endocrinology in Glasgow, London & North East England. He completed his Doctoral thesis on the impact of material deprivation on cardiovascular risk factors and mortality in 1998.
He was appointed a consultant Physician at South Tees, where he set up one of the first acute medicine units & won Acute medicine team of the year. He was appointed Chief of Service, Medicine during which time mortality reduced saving the equivalent of 200 lives per annum.
He has led a number of regional and national improvement programmes particularly in ambulatory emergency care. He was appointed regional Medical Director for NHS Improvement from 2015-19 and during that time developed innovative improvement programmes including the moving to good programme which supported trusts to achieve a CQC rating of good. He has also been the System Executive Medical Director at North Cumbria, the 1st of its kind in the country.
He is currently an associate medical director for quality and safety at South Tees leading the Trust’s improvement work, this contributed to the trust achieving CQC rating of good.
Pete Gordon
Pete has held a variety of nursing, operational, and improvement roles within the National Health Service (NHS) throughout his 36-year career. His extensive experience in healthcare led him to join the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST), where he eventually became the head. In this leadership role, he was responsible for guiding the team's local, regional, and national strategies.
Pete is a strong advocate for staff engagement and believes in creating a psychologically safe environment as the foundation for improvement. He emphasises the importance of involving frontline healthcare professionals in improvement activities, empowering them to focus on delivering direct care and eliminating unnecessary tasks that don't benefit patients.
He is particularly well-known for his contributions to improving patient flow and reducing unnecessary waiting times, notably through the development of the SAFER patient flow bundle. This initiative is widely recognised as a successful example of using simple rules to enhance urgent and emergency care. His innovative approach has led to the development of an extensive network within the healthcare community.
Pete's expertise is not limited to the UK; he has also supported patient flow improvement initiatives in several other countries, including Canada, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Dr Ian Sturgess
Dr. Ian Sturgess has had a distinguished career spanning over four decades, predominantly within the NHS as a Consultant Physician in General and Geriatric Medicine. Throughout his tenure, he held various senior managerial roles, including:
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Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety in East Kent.
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Medical Director of Kent Community Health Care Trust in 2012.
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Senior Medical Officer and Improvement Advisor to Canterbury District Health Board in New Zealand in 2012-2014.
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Regional Medical Director – NHS Improvement - 2017
Upon returning to the UK in 2014, Ian worked independently for a year before joining Monitor as the Associate Medical Director, Operational Improvement, and Clinical Director for ECIP (Emergency Care Improvement Programme) with NHS Improvement. Subsequently, he became the Regional Medical Director for NHS Improvement South. After retiring from the NHS, Ian served as the UEC Lead for NHS E/I Midlands Region from April 2019 to October 2022.
Notable leadership positions held by Ian include:
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Clinical Director of the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (2009-2013) and of the Emergency Care Improvement Programme (2015-2017).
Ian has authored various peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles and guides on acute care, and has been an invited speaker on acute care flow improvement both nationally and internationally. He is notably, the original author of the Directory of Ambulatory Emergency Care for Adults (2007 and 2010 editions) from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (NHS III) and the creator of Red2Green and the Stranded Patient Metric.
Additionally, Ian has been a Senior Improvement Fellow in the Improvement Faculty at NHS III and participated in both programme boards of the NHS Elect Ambulatory Emergency Care Delivery Network and Acute Frailty Network. His involvement in improving emergency and acute care flows across entire systems dates back to 2002, working with the Emergency Services Collaborative of the Modernisation Agency and the Delivering Quality and Value Team at the NHS III. He also played a crucial role in setting up ECIST in 2009/10.
In his international pursuits, Ian is a Director of IMP Health International Ltd and served as Associate Medical Director for Francis Health in New Zealand and Australia. In 2023 and 2024 he has been appointed as a Faculty Member for the Timely Emergency Care Collaborative (TECC) with the Department of Health, Victoria, Australia and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement TECC1 and TECC2 programmes. Across all these improvement roles, he has contributed to improving emergency and acute care flows in over 150 health systems globally to enhance patient care.
Dr Lee Dowson
Dr Lee Dowson is a highly experienced respiratory and acute medicine consultant with a notable career in both clinical practice and healthcare leadership. He has held several key leadership roles, including Clinical Director and Divisional Medical Director, where he demonstrated a commitment to enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. Lee also spent seven years as a Clinical Associate with the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Support Team (ECIST), collaborating with trusts across the UK to improve non-elective care
and patient flow.
Currently serving as an Associate Medical Director for Quality Improvement at an NHS Trust, Lee plays an instrumental role in shaping the NHS IMPACT programme, focusing on improving care quality and system efficiency. His approach emphasises the importance of empowering front-line staff by leveraging their ideas, passion, and commitment to drive meaningful improvements.
A qualified coach, Lee uses his coaching skills to engage and inspire colleagues, believing that true progress in healthcare comes from collaboration and the collective efforts of healthcare professionals.
Andy Aldridge
With over 32 years of dedicated service within the National Health Service (NHS), Andy has amassed a wealth of diverse experience in clinical practice, operational management, and driving improvement initiatives.
In 2015, Andy joined the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Support Team (ECIST), where he has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous acute trusts across England on their improvement journeys. His role has involved working closely with executives and clinical teams to tailor bespoke improvement packages, ensuring that staff at all levels are engaged and empowered to drive and own these transformative changes.
Before his tenure with ECIST, Andy held various pivotal roles within several acute trusts over a span of 23 years. His background includes frontline nursing and management in critical care units, as well as serving as an advanced clinical practitioner. Additionally, he has held senior nursing positions in urgent care and medicine, demonstrating his versatility and depth of expertise.
Operationally, Andy has demonstrated proficiency in managing and optimising patient flow within acute trusts, including overseeing flow at the system level. Throughout his career, Andy has cultivated strong, cohesive teams founded on principles of integrity, respect, and humility, which have been instrumental in achieving sustainable improvements and fostering a culture of excellence.
Claire Old
Claire began her healthcare career as a registered nurse, and her dedication to high standards of patient care and clinically led services has been a constant throughout her extensive career. Over the past four decades, Claire has held a variety of significant NHS roles at local, system, regional, and national levels. Her previous positions include:
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Primary Care Group Chief Executive
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Operations Director in Community and Primary Care
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Nursing, Quality, and Mental Health Director in a Primary Care Trust (PCT)
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Primary Care Trust Joint Director of Commissioning and Service Improvement/Deputy CEO
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Acute Director of Emergency Care
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Senior Improvement Manager with the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST)
Claire is a self-motivated lateral thinker, a respected leader, and an effective team builder with a proven track record. She is an innovative and confident decision-maker capable of balancing organisational and clinical needs while managing budgetary constraints. Her strong clinical focus and passion for patient care are underscored by her high personal values and commitment to excellence.
Claire's leadership and expertise make her a sought-after advisor and leader in urgent care, consistently driving improvements and delivering outstanding results in the healthcare sector.
Spencer Humphrys
Spencer is a seasoned health leader and management consultant with a proven track record of driving operational excellence across multiple sectors. With extensive experience in the NHS, he has held senior roles, including divisional director positions in both Urgent and Elective Care, and spent nearly seven years with NHS England's Emergency Care Intensive Support Team (ECIST). His consulting expertise spans health, local government, aerospace, defence, and consumer industries. Specializing in analytics, Lean methodologies, process improvement, and improvement science, Spencer provides rapid and data-informed change.
Natalie Rixon
Natalie is a dedicated advocate for improvement and is deeply committed to fostering psychological safety within healthcare environments to facilitate sustainable improvement for both staff and patients, thereby enhancing the entire health and care system.
With a rich background spanning over two decades within the National Health Service (NHS), Natalie has amassed a wealth of expertise across diverse domains including primary care, contracting, commissioning, acute care (both elective and non-elective), operational management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Specialising in urgent and emergency care, Natalie employs a nurturing coaching and mentoring approach to empower individuals and teams, igniting their potential for excellence. Her journey within healthcare extends from grassroots involvement within local communities to impactful contributions on a national scale, exemplified by her pivotal roles within the NHS Emergency Care Improvement Support Team (ECIST). This broad spectrum of experiences has honed her ability to grasp the intricacies of healthcare dynamics, enabling her to craft strategic and operational plans that foster collaboration and cohesion while maintaining a steadfast focus on objectives.
As a seasoned programme director operating at the system level, Natalie has spearheaded urgent and emergency care initiatives with a demonstrated history of tangible outcomes. She remains unwavering in her dedication to inclusivity, leveraging meaningful engagement to forge connections and drive positive change and innovation within the healthcare landscape.
Nick Holding
Nick brings over two decades of invaluable experience within the National Health Service (NHS), spanning leadership, management, and continuous improvement. His journey has taken him from frontline provider roles to impactful national-level engagements, notably with a national improvement team within the NHS. Before his healthcare career, he honed his skills in the dynamic environments of hospitality, retail and manufacturing.
His expertise in improvement is significant, shaped by intensive training, including immersion with the esteemed Virginia Mason Institute in the United States. What distinguishes Nick is not only his depth of knowledge but also
his exceptional ability to communicate complex improvement concepts in a clear and accessible manner. He excels in breaking down barriers, ensuring that everyone, from frontline staff to executive leadership, grasps and embraces the purpose behind their work.
Nick's humility is evident in his approach. Despite his extensive expertise, he avoids using improvement jargon, instead focusing on fostering genuine buy in and engagement. His inclusive and collaborative approach empowers teams to take ownership of their improvement efforts.
Furthermore, Nick's background as an executive coach and organisational psychologist provides him with a unique skill set. He possesses the insight and empathy necessary to navigate complex organisational dynamics, garnering support at all levels and driving meaningful change.