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, independent clinical reviewer/advisor learning disabilities at NHS England and NHS London Region, the Learning Disability Advisor to the Sates of Guernsey and an Approved Associate with Skills for Care. Jim is also Patron of Dance Syndrome and on the editorial board of Intellectual Disability. 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. Jim has also been 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.

Professor Alison Leary MBE FRCN (Professional Nursing Committee

Alison is the elected member for London on the Professional Nursing Committee. In 2015 she was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing and in 2016 a Fellow of the Queen's Nursing Institute and a Winston Churchill Fellow for which she examined high reliability organisations looking at safety. She was awarded an MBE for her work in football spectator safety in 2019. Alison works as a Professor of Healthcare Modelling in London.

Dr Joan Myers OBE (Council Member)

Joan has over 35 years’ experience as a strategic nurse leader, consultant and educator in community children’s nursing services across London. She has worked as an advisor to the Chief Nursing Officer for England in the NHS for over 10 years including being the Chair of the CNO BME Strategic Advisory Group for 5 years up until 2017. She is a 2018 Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholar and became a Trustee and Director of the Florence Nightingale Foundation in 2019. Joan is passionate about motivating and challenging people to excel and do well in their careers. Joan received an OBE for services to children and nursing in the Queens’ Birthday Honours list in 2013, she is a Queen’s nurse and has an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University.

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)

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 Nursing Lecturer at Middlesex University. 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 for 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 chairs three networks at Middlesex University for academic healthcare staff, nursing students and alumni nurses, the Healthcare Academics Race Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Networks (HAREDIN & SAG and SHAREDIN (students). She likes to use a strategic leadership approach and to 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.

Michael Smith (Stewards Committee Member)

Mike is an Emergency Nurse Practitioner/Chair of Staff Side with over 35 years nursing experience currently working for Epsom & St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust. He has a clinical background in Oncology, Burns and Plastics, A&E as well as a teaching qualification. Mike was one of the first nurse prescribers in London. Mike became active as an RCN steward in 1995 and more latterly is engaged as a health and safety rep. Since then Mike has represented hundreds of nurses and unregistered members, held senior Staff Side positions, led the Outer South West London Branch, sat on both the South East and London RCN Boards and is currently the London representative for the National Stewards Committee. Mike has a passion for supporting members seeking RCN professional help. He also contributes on a regular basis to RCN publications and digital media as well as actively lobbying politicians on behalf of nurses and nursing.

Vanessa Anthony (Student Committee Member)

Vanessa is studying Adult Nursing at the University of Greenwich. Vanessa is passionate to raise the profile of nursing. She has been lobbying MPs for the #FundOurFuture and #FairPayforNursing campaigns with the aim of achieving equitable bursaries and pay. Vanessa's other interests include global and national health inequalities. She would like to see a transformation in nursing education with an innovative approach. She believes investment in primary care and the independent sector will alleviate pressures in secondary and acute settings. Dismantling systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination within the profession is another of her key focuses.