Meet the Board

Tom Cahill CBE assumed the role of Chair of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in January 2026. A registered mental health nurse, Tom brings extensive senior leadership experience across the NHS, including 12 years as Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where he led the organisation to an Outstanding CQC rating in 2019. He was named HSJ Chief Executive of the Year in 2017.

Since 2021, Tom has served as NHS England's National Director for Autism and Learning Disability, driving national improvement in outcomes, inclusion, and life opportunities for autistic people and those with learning disabilities.

Tom is committed to high quality, person centred care and to strengthening partnerships across health and care systems. As Chair, he will support the Trust's improvement journey, champion efforts to reduce health inequalities, and help deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Plan for communities across Nottinghamshire.

 

Carolyn is a highly experienced, senior health care leader with 18 years' experience working at Board level within the complex and highly regulated environment of acute and community Foundation Trusts.

She joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare on 4 March 2019 and has a demonstrable track record in harnessing and developing the talents of staff, working to identify and realise their potential and building their confidence so that, even within the most challenging of environments, delivering excellence in patient care is always achievable.

Having worked in two Foundation Trusts and with the Care Quality Commission to develop its Well-Led Framework for Community Trusts, Carolyn has an excellent understanding of healthcare regulation, and the rigour Trusts must apply to ensure the quality and safety of their services and has worked as both a specialist advisor and executive reviewer with the CQC.

Paddy was appointed to the Board in February 2022. He is a qualified social and community worker who was employed by local authorities in Nottinghamshire and by the Children's Society. His work focused on early intervention and prevention.

He served for many years as a senior member of Nottinghamshire County Council and became a nationally recognised voice on local government finance. Elected as the Member of Parliament for Sherwood from 1992 to 2010, he went on to hold ministerial roles in both the Blair and Brown Governments. His parliamentary career included serving as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and chairing the Energy Select Committee.

Paddy served as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire from 2012 to 2021, during which he again took on a prominent national role in police financing. He chaired the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and sat on the National Policing Board.

He is currently Chair of the Nottingham LIFT Companies and the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation, and remains closely involved in several environmental organisations, including the Ramblers and the Wildlife Trusts. Alongside his public service roles, he teaches and lectures on public policy.

In 2024, Paddy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours.

Sue Sunderland is a CIPFA qualified accountant who has more than 30 years' experience of audit, governance, financial and risk management across the public sector.

Beginning her audit career with the Audit Commission she was a district auditor for many years before becoming a director with KPMG, responsible for both internal and external audit clients. Throughout her career she has been driven by a desire to help the public sector be as effective as it can be in delivering its priorities within the resources available.

In 2015 Sue took the opportunity to translate this passion and her skills into the Non-Executive role including taking up positions with two Nottinghamshire CCGs, before joining the Trust as Audit Chair, alongside a similar role with Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (until October 2025).

Sue's ongoing non-executive director portfolio also includes her role as Chair of the Joint Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable for Derbyshire.

Nigel is a qualified accountant who worked for the Post Office and Royal Mail for over 30 years in a variety of finance, HR and Health and Safety roles.

He has been involved with the NHS in a variety of Non-Executive Director roles for the last 10 years, across community and mental health services, and is currently also a Non-Executive Member at Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board and an Associate Mental Health Manager in South Yorkshire and Humberside.

He is also a Trustee at Citizens Advice in Derbyshire and has previously been a Trustee at Age UK. Nigel is originally from Wolverhampton but then lived in Nottinghamshire before moving to Matlock.

Ashiedu Joel (PhD) is the founder of Ashioma Consults Ltd, an equity, diversity, inclusive leadership and cultural capital company. She is an experienced practitioner and has held several strategic advisory and governance appointments.

Ashiedu has over two decades' experience of supporting organisations, groups and individuals and her practice focuses on engaging and dialoguing constructively across racial, cultural and socio-environmental settings, promoting opportunities for collaboration. 

She holds several positions including Fellow of the Society of Leadership Fellows, Windsor Castle; Independent Chair at Derby and Derbyshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership; Chair of the Africa Business Chamber (AfBC) East Midlands. She is also a former non-executive director at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Ashiedu is committed to improving the understanding of leadership and cultures, inclusion, representation and integration, adaptation and workforce diversity and their impact on the development, growth and sustainability of communities at large with emphasis on BME communities.