Professional and Generic Skills staff members

Find out more about the faculty staff working on the programme

Steve Astbury BA (Hons), FCMA, CGMA 

In the period following his retirement from the role of Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospitals, Steve has worked as an independent consultant within the NHS and also internationally. He currently teaches Management and Financial Accounting at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the University of Exeter, and regularly contributes to MSc programmes at the University of Plymouth. 

Faye Beddow BA (Hons), PgDip (Management), PgCert (Organisational Development) 

With a background in learning and development and a focus on leadership development, Faye has over 20 years of experience as a leader and learning professional working across the public sector and health sector. Her most recent work was with the NHS South West Leadership Academy where she held the post of Leadership and Organisational Development lead, supporting system-wide leadership and organisational development, with a focus on inclusion and compassionate leadership. 

Catherine Blackaby 

Catherine is an independent coach, facilitator and trainer who works with individuals, teams, and organisations to help them achieve their potential through the development of leadership, change management and quality improvement skills. With over 30 years’ experience of working in the health and care sector, including service development and redesign, operational management of both hospital and community services, and national improvement roles, Catherine brings a wealth of real-life experience and practical tools to her work. Catherine is a former Improvement Fellow with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, where she undertook quality improvement skills training with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in the USA. Besides holding an MBA, she is a licensed practitioner in MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and SDI (Strengths Deployment Inventory). Catherine is qualified as an NLP (neuro linguistic programming) Master Practitioner and accredited Executive Coach and has a particular interest in the human and cultural aspects of change. 

Professor Nick Cooper BSc MMEd MBBS FRCPFRCPCH PFHEA FAcadMEd 

Nick is an Associate Professor within Plymouth University Peninsula Medical School, specialising in clinical education. Nick was Programme Lead for a Masters in Clinical Education from 2002-14 and was Programme Lead for a Generic and Professional Skills Programme back in 2006. He has a particular interest in the integration of educational theory into practice in a clinical setting and is a practising GP in Totnes. He is Academic Lead for The Peninsula Foundation School and has recently been elected as President of The Academy of Medical Educators, with their Professional Standards Framework adopted by the GMC for recognition of roles as teacher, trainer, supervisor. 

Nicky Durrant 

Nicky is a registered physiotherapist who first started using Quality Improvement in 2013 to reduce inefficiencies in community services. While in the NHS she further developed her skills working as an operational manager, using QI tools and techniques to make changes more successful, more efficient, and more likely to be sustained. She left clinical and operational roles in 2015 to work as a QI coach and facilitator, sharing her passion for QI with others, so that they can increase their own chances of making sustainable, measurable change. As well as working with the University of Plymouth, Nicky also delivers various capability building programmes for the Primary Care Transformation Team at NHS England. 

Louise Hardy BA (Hons), PG Cert (Managing Health Services), MSc (Management Learning & Change) PG Cert (Clinical Education) 

Louise is currently Associate Professor (Clinical Education) at the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Medical School and holds this role alongside a range of leadership and organisational development assignments as a private consultant. Louise has worked in senior leadership roles within the NHS, heading up a portfolio of clinical leadership development, human resource management and organisation development. She has held executive and non-executive board roles in both commissioning and acute Trusts. Louise was instrumental in launching Plymouth’s MSc in Healthcare Management, Leadership, and Innovation, where she is core member of the leadership teaching team. She also teaches on the Professional and Generic Skills Programme, with a particular interest in modules 3, 5 and 6. 

Philip Hart MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, SFHEA, FRSA 

Phil is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with considerable experience of working with medical educators and clinical practitioners in the following areas: Clinical Teaching; Communication and Teamwork; Critical Reflection; the Challenges for Clinicians and, hence, Medical Educators concerning the recording of the outcomes of reflection in writing; Enquiry-based Learning (EBL); Ethnography and Reflexivity; Healthcare Leadership. He is an associate lecturer with the Faculty of Health (University of Plymouth) and has been associated with the medical school since 2003; he facilitates EBL for undergraduate student groups and co-facilitates the following postgraduate programmes: Global Health (Leadership); Professional and Generic Skills (modules 2, 3 and 6). Phil was an educational consultant with the London Deanery (UCL) from 2009 until 2012, working with consultants to enhance their clinical teaching through observation and reflection. 
He is also a Visiting Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education Partnership, Plymouth Marjon University, where he undertakes the quality assurance of Initial Teacher Education provision for the primary and secondary sectors; additionally, he is an Assessor for National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) with the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership: Roehampton University, Plymouth Marjon University and Leeds Trinity University. 

Dr Matthew Hill, BMedSci, BMBS, MRCPC, FRCA, MSc (Quality and Safety in Healthcare), PgDip Leadership (Quality Improvement) 

Matt is a consultant anaesthetist at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth and has a particular interest in patient safety, safety culture and quality improvement. He is Clinical Advisor on Safety Culture to NHS England and the Maternity Transformation Programme and is a Health Foundation Generation Q Fellow. 

Dr Bettina Kluettgens, PgCert, PhD, MRPharmS 

A qualified pharmacist, Bettina has successfully delivered sustainable improvements in the NHS and the private sector. She possesses expert knowledge in the fields of Quality Improvement, governance and patient safety gained during a career spanning primary care (private sector), NHS hospital leadership and system leadership. Bettina has held senior posts within the South West Academic Health Science Network, including Director of Quality Improvement and latterly Clinical Director. She was instrumental in establishing the South West Patient Safety Collaborative, has been a member of the national Medicines Optimisation Programme Board, representing the ASHN Network Improvement specialists, and a member of the South West Clinical Senate, supporting the critical assessment of major changes to NHS service delivery. Bettina currently works as a freelance healthcare consultant, supporting NHS, private and charity clients in the areas of service improvement, patients' safety, governance, and strategy. 

Kenny Naughton, BSc, MSc 

Kenny has had a long career in healthcare management, starting off on the NHS Graduate Management Training scheme where he undertook his MSc in Health & Public Leadership. He then progressed into roles in commissioning and operational management, and more recently a spell in management consultancy. Kenny has spent 10 years in Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust, working within the Medicine Care Group. He now works as Care Group Director for Planned Care in Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. He has a passion for working with people, developing others, and delivering on tough projects. He is a faculty member at the University of Plymouth teaching leadership and management, sharing knowledge on business cases and the intricate structure and history of the NHS.
Kenny currently teaches Module 5 of the Professional and Generic Skills programme.

Joanna Pendray, BA, PgCert, MCIPD 

Jo has wide experience of working with healthcare teams to assess and improve their culture and has most recently held the post of Associate Director of the South West Academic Health Science Network. Jo teaches safety culture on the MSc programme in Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety at the University of Plymouth and previously led the Patient Safety Collaborative in the South West. She is a skilled facilitator and engages with individuals and teams to promote Quality Improvement methodology, effective teamwork, and cultural improvement. 

Dr Judy Ravenscroft 

Judy commenced her professional career as a university lecturer and later held leadership roles within a range of public sector and commercial organisations. Alongside her role as Development Advisor to NHS England and NHS Improvement, she is currently programme lead of the Professional and Generic Skills programme. Judy is the designated governor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at South Devon College and she also holds several other non-Executive and Trustee roles. Judy also undertakes management consulting and executive coaching assignments.  

Debbie Roche, BSc (Social Policy), PGCE (Post-16 Education and Training), MA (Social Policy) 

Debbie is a former health and social lecturer. She was a member of the Plymouth Suicide Prevention Strategic Partnership group, Devon Eating Disorders Pathway group and Healthwatch Plymouth. A former PA to an MP, Debbie is now CEO of a small charity for males with eating and body image disorders.    

Dr Mike Ruscoe, MB ChB, MA (Shakespearean Theatre), MSc (Health Studies), FRCGP 

Mike is a retired general medical practitioner who has been Director of GP Education in the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Deanery. He acted as Postgraduate Medical Dean from 2002 until being appointed Education Dean to the Avon Gloucester and Wiltshire SHA in 2005. Following retirement, Mike has continued as a consultant in medical education and assessment. In reviewing the Professional & Generic Skills programme and making recommendations on curriculum content and delivery he has produced a template for Health Education England SW to roll out a coherent structure of a programme essential for young doctors preparing for work as hospital consultants or GP principals. 

Andrea Stebbings RM, BSc, MA

Andrea is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Having trained originally as a Registered General Nurse and then as a Registered Midwife Andrea has an extensive career across clinical practice, regulation, and education. Andrea sat as an independent panellist for 8 years on the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee and continues to work for the NMC as a Case Examiner. She provides advice and expert reports to Trusts and Claimants in maternity negligence cases as a certified expert witness. She is the lead of the Professional Nurse and Midwifery Advocacy module which has been designed in accordance with NHSE guidance to promote thriving work cultures and behaviours through leadership which is responsive and compassionate. She champions interprofessional learning and is the SNAM lead for PIHC (Plymouth Integrative Health & Social Care Education Centre). 

Pippa Trimble, BA, LLM 

Pippa has been a lecturer in Law at Plymouth since 2014 and is the current Lead for Interprofessional learning for Plymouth Law School. She was previously a solicitor in commercial litigation for 12 years in London and Plymouth. She has a CPD Certificate in Medical Law and an LLM in Medical Law and Ethics. 

Ellen Wilkinson, BM, FRCPsych 

Ellen is a consultant adult psychiatrist, now retired after 13 years as Medical Director of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Ellen has supported patient safety and quality improvement in the SW, including work for the Southwest Academic Health Science Network in mental health patient safety. She also has national roles at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and supports the Quality and Patient Safety module on the Professional and Generic Skills programme.