NHSScotland North - Regional Team

Alan Cooper, Director of Regional Planning (North)

 Alan joined the North Scotland Regional Team on secondment from December 2023.  Alan has worked in both local and regional roles with his most recent post as Head of Strategy, Governance and Performance in NHS Grampian.  

Alan has a keen interest in improvement science, a background in business and change management and holds a deep-seated commitment to improving outcomes for all.  He is passionate about delivering success through aligning diverse stakeholder interests and truly collaborative working.

Fiona Collins, Child Health Network Manager & North Forensic and Custody Health Care Network Manager

Fiona is a fully qualified nurse and midwife with over 40 years experience in the NHS in Scotland. Her main nursing career was spent in neonatal services, including working as a Specialist Practitioner and Unit Manager. She has worked as a regional Network Manager for neonates, and in more recent years Paediatric Critical Care and Adult Critical Care in the West of Scotland.

Her lifelong passion has always been focused on patient / family centred care, patient safety, supporting educational opportunities for staff, audit and research and driving improvements in service delivery.

Anne-Marie Pitt, Trauma Network Manager

Anne-Marie has had a varied career in health management including within the NHS Executive England and Department of Health. In 2004 she moved to the NHS as Head of Clinical Governance at Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust. Her last post in NHS England was Associate Director of Quality and Standards with NHS Northamptonshire and then moved to NHS Scotland in 2009 where she has managed a number of regional networks in the southeast and north of Scotland. She currently manages the North of Scotland Trauma Network

Jennifer Downes, Senior Project Manager 

 Jen is always in a ‘sleeves rolled up’ kind of mood.  With a scientific background and 12 years of varied experience in the In-Virto Diagnostics industry in Dundee, she began training as a PRINCE II Project Manager in 2013.  Her combined passion for people and improvement led her to join the NHS as a Project Manager for the North Regional team in early 2020. 

As a busy Mum of two energetic girls there isn’t much spare time to do all the things she loves but she is never happier when outdoors in the sunshine. 

Jen can’t wait to get started on meeting your next regional need. 

Julie joined the North regional team in 2012 and has since worked in a number of roles supporting a variety of regional projects and networks.

Lorna Pennycook, Senior Project Manager - North Imaging Alliance

Lorna has been with the regional team since 2020 as a member of the Project Management team. She has over 20 year's experience within the NHS, joining NHS Tayside in December 2002, and has supported projects and initiatives in Public Health, Health Strategy, Mental Health strategic development and Health & Business Intelligence.

She is currently Senior Project Manager for the North Imaging Alliance (NIA), supporting imaging services in the North Boards as part of the NIA core team. Her key focus for 22-24 has been to lead and manage the regional mobile MRI project in the North, adopt the Quality Standards for Imaging Networks within the NIA, support regional networking and collaboration opportunities and link with national initiatives. The best part of her job is working with the core NIA team and colleagues in imaging services.

Outside of work, Lorna is active in her local community and parish church, usually with an accompanying spreadsheet.

Katrina Taylor, Project Manager

Katrina is currently supporting the CAMHS regional work as a Project Manager.

Katrina has worked as a PA/Administrator and a Project Support Officer within the team, working within various projects in both roles. 

Martha Hay, Executive Assistant

Martha joined the north of Scotland Planning Group in 2008 and is currently in the role of Executive Assistant. She manages and supports the admin team and provides PA support to the Director of Regional Planning. Martha also administers the regional executive meetings which includes: north Chief Executives; north Chairs & Chief Executives; and the north boards planning leads. 

Laura Hogan, PA/Administrator

Laura has worked for the NHS since 2017 providing PA/Administrative support to the NoS Trauma Network, Mental Health Programme and Child Health Network.

Carol Mayo, PA/Administrator

Carol has worked her entire working life in the NHS. She spent 36 years as the admin support for the Pharmacy Service in Angus. Since moving to the North Regional Team 5 years ago, she has been PA/Administrator for various programmes and networks but is currently supporting: Making It Better programme; NoS Workforce Learning/Planning Network; NoS eHealth Leads; NoS Forensic Medical Services and Custody Health Care Alliance; Child Sexual Abuse Sub Group; Regional Mechanical Thrombectomy Service; Regional Radiology Transformation Programme.