Three new Non-executive Directors with “a wealth of expertise” will be joining Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Board to help make a positive difference to the lives of patients and their families across the borough’s communities.
Dawn Brathwaite, Ofrah Muflahi and Julian Parkes will join tomorrow, Tuesday 1 March.
Walsall Healthcare Chair Steve Field said they could be assured of a warm welcome.
“We are delighted that Dawn, Ofrah and Julian are joining our Trust Board – they bring a wealth of expertise with them and we are all looking forward to working with them and learning from them as we improve, shape and grow healthcare services for all,” he said.
“Our Non-executive Directors are key to holding the Executive Team to account through constructive scrutiny and challenge and they are integral to helping us to create a healthy culture for the organisation. I’m sure they will be warmly welcomed by colleagues across our hospital and community services.”
Dawn Brathwaite
Dawn is a solicitor and former partner in a national law firm. For the past 20 years she has advised NHS bodies including commissioners, providers, and healthcare regulators. She retired from legal practice in May 2021 but continues as a consultant in a non-legal role with her firm.
She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has led many initiatives to increase the number of individuals from diverse and socially disadvantaged backgrounds within the legal profession, for which she has received several awards.
Dawn is a former Trustee of Navigators UK and is a current member of the General Synod of the Church of England.
Ofrah Muflahi
Ofrah’s passion for nursing started at the age of 14 when she noted the care being provided by nursing staff who looked after her unwell mother. She has more than 20 years’ experience working in various nursing roles and is a highly competent registered nurse with knowledge, skills and experience in paediatrics, community nursing, quality governance, project management and quality improvement.
She was the only Mary Seacole Leadership Award winner in 2008.
Ofrah has held board roles in multiple charities and more recently at Kidney Care UK.
She is currently the Professional Lead for Nursing Support Workers at the Royal College of Nursing and is passionate about her role in order to deliver excellent care, ethical leadership and innovation. She has an MSc in Healthcare Management and Policy from the University of Birmingham.
Julian Parkes
Julian is a retired GP who qualified from Birmingham Medical School in 1984 and after junior jobs in South Birmingham, joined a practice in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, where he stayed for his entire clinical career.
During this time he was also on the Board of Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group and previous commissioning organisations; he was prescribing lead for 15 years. His practice was one of the first to integrate with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in June 2016. Since retiring from clinical practice he has remained an employee, leading on Primary Care integration and supporting the eight General Practices that have now integrated with the Trust.