A commitment to health service change and improvement has seen a local nurse take up an additional role to use her skills to benefit the wider region.
Ruksana Salim, head of quality and clinical safety for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as a member of the North East & Yorkshire Clinical Senate.
Independent body
A clinical senate is an independent body offering strategic advice and guidance to commissioners and other healthcare stakeholders to assist them in making the best decisions for the populations they serve.
Ruksana said: “The ethos of the North East & Yorkshire Clinical Senate Council resonates with my values.
“I wanted to continue with my journey contributing towards positive change, innovation and commitment to improving healthcare services for our patients, staff and population in the ever evolving landscape of healthcare.
“I am absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity and welcome this new challenge to collaborate across regions and strengthen relationships.
“This is a unique learning opportunity to further develop my leadership skills and knowledge in the wider healthcare system.”
Prestigious
The prestigious appointment will see Ruksana use her experience of nursing and the local healthcare picture to advise on service changes, act as a ‘critical friend’ to neighbouring trusts and NHS bodies and use her passion for quality improvement to help tackle health inequalities in the community.
Beth Swanson, nursing director for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “Experienced nurses like Ruskana have so much to contribute at a regional and national level.
“I’m really pleased she is taking this step into a wider regional role. I’m sure she will prove a huge success as a senate member.”