Regional Board

Jim Blair (Chair of the Board, Inner North Central London)

Jim is an Independent Consultant Nurse Learning Disabilities, Associate Professor (Hon) Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities at Kingston University and St George's University of London, panel member of the NMC Fitness to Practice Panel, independent clinical reviewer, and advisor for learning disabilities at NHS England and NHS London Region. Jim is also Patron of Dance Syndrome and on the editorial board of Intellectual Disability. Jim has been the Learning Disability Advisor to the States of Guernsey and Jersey. Jim is a Past President Royal Society of Medicine’s council for Intellectual Disability and has been Vice Chairman of Special Olympics Great Britain. Jim has been an Expert Advisor to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman as well as a specialist clinical advisor to the CQC, Clinical Lead Health Inequalities at NHS England, health advisor to the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and learning disability nursing lead at the RCN. 

Noeleen Behan (Vice Chair of the Board, Outer North Central London)

Noeleen is a registered nurse with over 27 years’ of nursing experience, having commenced nurse training in 1987 at Barnet College of Nursing she completed a BSc in Nursing Studies in 2003 and recently completed an MSc Management course, both at the University of Hertfordshire. Noeleen is currently the Chair of the RCN Outer North Central London Branch and was recently re-elected to a third term in that position, having previously been branch secretary. Noeleen was the Chair of staff side at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust for over ten years. Noeleen has ten years’ experience as an RCN Steward and is an experienced negotiator as well as an experienced ACAS trained mediator.

Laura Duffell (Inner South East London)

Laura has been a nurse for around 20 years and has worked in many hospitals across London, predominantly in child health. She has been chair of the Inner South East London branch for the past 3 years and sits on the staff side committee at her organisation. She is currently working as a health and wellbeing manager and is hugely passionate about NHS workers looking after themselves, as well as nursing staff having a voice and an ability to demonstrate what an amazing profession we are.

Joyce Inoniyegha (Outer North West London)

Joyce is a Registered Nurse with a specialty in paediatric and neonatal intensive care nursing. She has been a community children's manager and has been an RCN member for 28 years, serving 12 of those as an RCN Steward. Joyce is currently Chair of Staff Side at London North West Healthcare Trust.  An active member of the policy development group, Joyce continues to promote the work of RCN and encourage recruitment at branch level. As a board member, she is keen to ensure the issues of front line staffing are addressed, particularly bullying and harassment in the work place.

Folake Oladeinde (Inner South East London)

Folake is a third year nursing student at London South Bank University. She previously worked as a complex needs carer in the community before pursuing a career in nursing. Folake is glad to be studying nursing at a time when nurses are most needed. Folake is a student representative at her university, and a trust representative Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Karen Sanders (RCN Trade Union Committee Representative)

Karen is a registered nurse with over 35 years’ nursing experience. Prior to becoming a Senior Lecturer at London South Bank University in the Institute of Health & Social Care, Karen specialised in adult intensive care and neurosciences nursing and held management, practice development and education roles. Karen has been an RCN Learning Representative for over 15 years and was the Chair of the UK Learning Representatives Committee from 2014 – 2019. Karen has been the London Region representative on the Trade Union Committee since 2018 and as a result sits on the London Board. Karen is the Treasurer of the Inner South East London Branch. Karen has major concerns about the future of the NHS and of nursing education and training and is keen to work with the RCN, its members and relevant other parties to ameliorate the situation and address the challenges, problems and conflicts presently being faced.

Sheila Sobrany (Outer North Central London)

Sheila Sobrany is a Senior Nursing Lecturer at the University of East London. Her career has been of demonstrable commitment and passion for race equality, diversity and inclusion by tackling inequalities in nursing, for all nursing staff and nursing students. She is passionate about nurses' right to a significant pay rise, career progression and nurse education. She is a member of the Chief Nursing Officer’s Black Minority and Ethnic Strategic Advisory Group (CNO BME SAG). Sheila is the founder and chair of several networks at Middlesex University and now at the University of East London for academic staff, healthcare academics, students and alumni nurses, the Healthcare Academics Race Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Networks (HAREDIN & SAG and SHAREDIN (students) as well as the Middlesex Anti- Racism Network. She likes to use a strategic leadership approach and be a voice for nurses, for which she has an excellent track record in negotiating and pushing forward the agenda.

Patricia Yiggon (Inner South West London)

Pat is a registered nurse with 10 years' clinical experience working at St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London. She has clinical background knowledge in cardiology, gastro and liver. She is currently transferred to the Gynaecology Outpatient Department. Pat has been an active RCN Member since 2007 when she started as a student at Kingston University, and she became an RCN Learning Rep in 2015. Pat is a member of Staff Side and the Partnership Forum, as well as the chair of the Inner South West London branch of the RCN.

Carol Webley-Brown (RCN Council Member)

Carol is our representative on RCN Council. She brings a wealth of experience to her role on RCN Council having worked as a general practice nurse and in accident and emergency, primary care, and mental health nursing. She has an extensive track record in speaking up for nurses and patients, having worked as an independent patient liaison member on the General Medical Council, and as a trustee and non-executive member of four hospital and hospice organisations. Carol currently serves as an independent panel member on Lewisham and Greenwich councils offering her clinical experience to the fostering service. She has also held several lecturing positions throughout her career.

Sophie McKay (Inner North West London)

Sophie is a Registered Children's nurse working as the Paediatric Clinical Nurse Educator at St Mary's Hospital and also works as an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Middlesex University. She is a specialist trained paediatric critical care nurse and has completed post graduate studies in professional leadership, neuroscience and neurocritical nursing, mentorship and a diploma in Tropical Nursing. She has nursed abroad in Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius and China. She is a proud professional nurse advocate and is passionate about clinical education, coaching, restorative supervision and safe staffing. 

Trudi Gibson (RCN Students Committee Representative)

Trudi is an MSc Adult nursing student from King’s College London. Initially training and working as a journalist, Trudi found a passion for healthcare and has worked on the clinical frontline for the last six years. In addition to her nursing studies, she is enrolled on the Principal’s Global Leadership Award and Associate of King’s College programme. When not on placement or studying, she can be found vaccinating or working in a central London A&E.

Ian Norris (RCN Safety Committee Representative)

Ian is a Registered Nurse who has been working in the NHS continuously since starting as a volunteer over 45 years ago. Ian currently works at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust where he works clinically as Lead Nurse for Stroke Services and is the Staff Side Secretary. Ian is also RCN London Regions representative on the UK Safety Representatives Committee and has been an RCN Steward since 1981. Having previously held a number of RCN positions – from local Branch Officer posts to Chair of the RCN London Board, RCN Council Member, Chair of the RCN Nursing Policy and Practice Committee, Vice-Chair of the RCN Audit Committee and as an RCN Foundation Trustee and Chair of the RCN Foundation Grants Committee, these roles have equipped Ian with a wide variety of knowledge and skills to be able to represent RCN members and Nursing across a broad spectrum and to ensure that the Nursing Voice is heard. Ian is a holder of both the RCN London Region Merit Award and of the RCN National Award of Merit.

Patrick Simbule (RCN London Stewards Committee Representative)

Patrick is a registered nurse with 35 years of experience in both Acute Medical and Surgical Nursing. He is currently the Charge Nurse for Outpatient Services at Blackheath Hospital within the independent sector. Patrick’s previous experience includes working in Southern Africa for 12 years as an Infection Control Lead.  Patrick joined the RCN in 2000 and is a Steward and Branch Secretary for Outer South East London Branch.  He is also passionate about promoting equality and diversity within nursing.

Paul Trevatt (RCN Professional Nursing Committee Representative

Paul has worked in nursing and healthcare management for more than 30 years in a variety of roles, settings and organisations, which span clinical to operational, strategic to policy. He has contributed to a number of national work streams and policy initiatives, which focused on the nursing contribution to cancer care, inequalities, patient experience and end of life. Paul’s continued commitment to the nursing profession has resulted in high-profile work to drive forward improvements in the role of nursing leadership within healthcare, variations in practice, and the continually evolving role of the specialist nursing workforce. He has published and presented on many of these themes and remains passionate about clinical professional development and innovations in practice. In 2015 he was identified as one of Nursing Times Leaders. He has been a board member of a number of national and European nursing charities, UKONS (United Kingdom Oncology Society) and EONS (European Oncology Nursing Society). In 2015 he was awarded the NHS Mentor / Coach of the year by the NHS London Leadership Academy. Currently Paul is working clinically across North Central London supporting the national COVID vaccination programme.

Sagila Thiruthanikasalan (RCN Nursing Support Worker Committee Representative)

Bio coming shortly