Team size: Three

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

Continued Legal Excellence & Efficiency Initiative

Since being appointed as UCLH’s first GC, I have established and transformed the Trust’s commercial legal function at a time when the NHS is facing unprecedented operational and financial pressures. The role has involved building an in-house legal service capable of delivering timely, commercially focused and strategically aligned advice, reducing reliance on external legal providers, improving governance and supporting the Trust to achieve significant efficiencies while maintaining high-quality legal support. This transformation is ongoing as the legal function continues to evolve in response to the Trust’s changing priorities and increasingly complex commercial landscape.

Building on the success of this model, I am now working with a neighbouring NHS trust to help establish a similar approach, enabling it to realise many of the same benefits that UCLH has achieved. This includes strengthening in-house legal capability, reducing external legal spend, improving consistency in legal advice and governance and creating opportunities to benefit from economies of scale. The longer-term vision is for me to serve as GC across both organisations, creating a shared legal leadership model that delivers greater efficiency, consistency, resilience and value for money. By adopting a collaborative cross-trust approach, the legal function will be better placed to support strategic decision-making, share expertise and contribute to a more sustainable and effective model for the provision of legal services across the NHS.

Please provide a brief description of any internal transformation/development projects within your legal team over the last twelve months.

As part of my wider legal transformation and efficiency programme, I designed and implemented a Trust-wide Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the instruction and management of external legal advisers. Previously, there was limited consistency in how external counsel were engaged, making it more difficult to monitor expenditure, ensure value for money and maximise the contribution of the in-house legal team.

The SOP introduced a clear governance framework, with defined approval processes, decision-making criteria and oversight mechanisms. It ensures that matters are appropriately triaged, that the in-house legal team is engaged at the earliest opportunity and that external advisers are used only where specialist expertise, additional capacity or independence is required.

The new process has strengthened oversight of external legal spend by improving transparency, enabling better tracking of instructions, identifying trends and supporting more effective management of external providers. It ensures that legal resources are deployed strategically, balancing cost, expertise and risk.

This initiative forms part of my broader aim to modernise the Trust’s legal function, demonstrating how legal services can contribute to organisational efficiency while maintaining high-quality advice. The approach has improved governance, supported better use of public resources and is now informing discussions about adopting similar models across neighbouring NHS organisations as part of a wider shared legal services approach.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

A cause that has always been central to my career is supporting talented aspiring lawyers — particularly those from underrepresented, disadvantaged or non-traditional backgrounds — to access and succeed within the legal profession. I believe talent exists far more widely than opportunity, and that individuals should be judged on their potential rather than their personal networks or background.

Having started my own legal career nearly 20 years ago, I understand the challenges of entering the profession without established connections. The support and mentorship I received during those early years had a profound impact on my career and instilled in me a commitment to create similar opportunities for others.

Since joining UCLH, I have supported aspiring lawyers through mentoring, career guidance and meaningful work experience placements within the in-house legal team. These placements provide students with practical insight into legal work, helping them develop skills, confidence and experiences that strengthen future applications for legal roles.

The impact has already been significant. A student who undertook work experience with the team recently secured a training contract with a leading US law firm and highlighted that her UCLH experience was instrumental in helping her demonstrate practical legal experience during her application and interview. Another student secured a paralegal role.

Building on this success, I have secured approval to establish a formal legal work experience programme at UCLH, creating a structured and accessible pathway for aspiring lawyers from all backgrounds. This initiative is about improving social mobility, widening access to the profession and helping develop the next generation of lawyers who reflect the communities we serve.

What are the most important attributes of the modern GC and what advice would you give to those aspiring to be an in-house lawyer?

Being an effective GC requires far more than technical legal expertise. While strong legal acumen is fundamental, the role demands a broader range of skills, including strategic leadership, commercial awareness, adaptability and the ability to build trust across the organisation.

A modern GC must be a trusted adviser and strategic partner, providing practical, solutions-focused advice that balances legal obligations with operational priorities, financial pressures and organisational objectives. The role is not simply about identifying risks, but about anticipating them, putting appropriate controls in place and enabling informed decision-making.

This is particularly important within the NHS, where organisations operate in a constantly evolving regulatory and operational environment. A successful GC must be agile, able to respond to changing priorities, navigate complexity and translate legal requirements into practical actions that support delivery of the organisation’s goals.

Equally important is the ability to influence and collaborate with executive and clinical leaders, ensuring that legal advice is accessible, proportionate and aligned with strategic priorities. By positioning the legal function as an enabler rather than a barrier, the GC can help drive innovation, strengthen governance and deliver sustainable value.

Throughout my career, I have sought to embody these qualities by transforming legal services from a reactive advisory function into a proactive strategic partner that supports organisational success.

What are the key risks or challenges your legal team is preparing for over the next twelve months?

Over the next twelve months, my team will continue to face significant challenges as we seek to deliver an increasingly strategic and value-driven legal service within a demanding NHS environment.

The ongoing financial pressures facing the NHS mean that demand for legal support is increasing while opportunities to expand resources remain limited. This requires a continued focus on efficiency, prioritisation, innovation and making best use of existing capability. We will continue to streamline processes, embrace technology where appropriate and ensure legal support is directed towards areas where it delivers the greatest organisational value.

Recruitment and retention also remain key challenges. The NHS faces strong competition from private practice and commercial organisations that can offer higher salaries. Our focus therefore must be on creating an environment where lawyers can undertake meaningful work, develop their careers and see the impact of their contribution on improving healthcare outcomes.

A further challenge is the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, including changes in procurement, healthcare regulation, data protection and governance. The legal team must remain agile and forward-thinking, anticipating developments, advising proactively and translating complex legal requirements into practical solutions that support the Trust’s strategic objectives.

Despite these challenges, they also present opportunities to further transform the role of the legal function. By continuing to operate as a strategic partner rather than simply a transactional service, the team can help the Trust navigate uncertainty, identify opportunities for improvement and deliver greater value. My focus will remain on building a resilient, efficient and forward-looking legal service that supports the Trust’s objectives while demonstrating that high-quality legal provision can be delivered sustainably within the NHS.