Laura Marsh
Heswall,Wirral
Summary
Resourceful and adaptable Director with expertise in visionary thinking, strategy development, transformational change and board-level assurance and communication. Demonstrates exceptional risk management proficiency and leadership acumen, complemented by advanced skills in data analytics and interpretation. Committed to driving forward strategic initiatives that optimise organisational performance and foster sustainable delivery. Demonstrates strong negotiation and engagement skills, alongside expertise in complex programme management and leadership of high performing teams. Committed to delivering transformative results and fostering a culture of innovation.
Overview
1
1
Certification
2
2
years of post-secondary education
20
20
years of professional experience
Work history
Place Director
Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board
05.2023 - 06.2026
- Led financial stewardship across a budget of over £800million in accordance with required SFIs and SORD, while maintaining focus on improving outcomes and performance metrics including reduced waiting times.
- Translated strategic objectives into defined transformation and financial recovery programmes whilst engaging across a complex array of stakeholders, delivering expected efficiency savings of over £8million through disciplined programme management oversight. Embedded effective programme gateway approach and use of digital programme office approach.
- Led System-wide complex neurodevelopment pathway transformation programmes across Cheshire and Merseyside, including complex stakeholder management, development and embedded governance, effective programme management arrangements to track benefits realisation (including delivery of £6million cost savings) and commissioned external evaluation partners. Responsible for assurance of improved performance to the Board and regionally. Included design and implementation of a digital patient portal to support self-service access.
- Built strategic cohesion across partners including local authorities, NHS providers, multiple voluntary sector organisations, housing providers and universities to develop and implement an integrated vision, strategy, plan on a page and balanced scorecard for the integrated neighbourhood programme. Included delivery of projects enabling patients to be treated sooner and have easier access to care closer to home.
- Led a system-wide urgent and emergency care management programme, aligning multiple NHS providers, local authorities, voluntary sector and Healthwatch around shared priorities, delivering a cohesive and effective transformation delivering a 20% reduction in delays.
- Led the development of high performing teams including across organisations, promoting service-user voice, evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement. Ensuring the team worked effectively together to build the conditions for success.
- Led the commissioning, contracting and performance management for multiple high value contracts, as well as leading associated procurements within service transformation programmes ensuring a focus on improved value and outcomes.
- Provided assurance on delivery and efficiency to the ICB Board and represented Cheshire and Merseyside at regional and national forums, influencing strategic discussion on service transformation, co-production, collaboration with the service-user advocates and transformational funding models.
- Working collaboratively with senior and Executive-level stakeholders including within Local Authorities, NHS Providers, to successfully implement health and care policies and ensure planning and delivery is enabled by effective strategic programme and performance management arrangements.
- Ensured appropriate public and patient engagement within all service transformation including consultation and development of a local co-production approach; the Local Voices Framework. Presented to national workshops on the integration of the voluntary sector into the local transformational approaches to delivery.
Associate Director of Transformation and Partnerships
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB
Cheshire and Merseyside
07.2022 - 05.2023
- Led the development of system-wide strategic commissioning intentions and service development transformation programme including a regional programme for urgent care service improvement incorporating transition to a digital clinical assessment model across a population of >1million patients.
- Led the external procurement of contracts to enable increased realisation of value and improved clinical outcomes. Included effective stakeholder management and engagement, service specification and evaluation criteria development, benefits realisation tracking and service mobilisation.
- Directed programme planning and management of transformation activities and projects, implementing a standardised approach to programme management supported by innovative digital tools aligned with system reporting for effective tracking of progress against key targets.
- Ensured services delivered to the highest possible standards and key performance indicators including developing improvement trajectories and associated performance dashboards to track change.
- Managed transformation and delivery budgets while ensuring compliance with Standing Financial Instructions and associated budget management responsibilities.
- Led the development of regional peer networks, to strengthen collaboration, share best practice and provide a mechanism for support and ongoing development.
Greater Manchester Programme Director Elective Care
Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership
Greater Manchester
09.2019 - 06.2022
- Programme Director responsible for leading and driving forward the transformative improvement programme for elective care across Greater Manchester, working with Chief Executives, Executive directors, senior clinicians, boards and external partners.
- Collaborated with Greater Manchester-wide transformation programmes to identify shared priorities and leverage opportunities for mutual benefits, focusing on system reconfiguration for Improving Specialist Care, efficient diagnostic pathways for Greater Manchester Cancer programme, and self-care development through digital tools in the population health programme.
- Collaborated with Health Innovation Manchester and Greater Manchester partners to advance testing and integration of digitalisation initiatives.
- Established and embedded new governance structure for Elective Transformation programme delivery, incorporating clinical and patient reference groups, system-wide Board engagement, and a reporting framework for all work streams.
- Facilitated the adoption of best practice regionally and nationally to enable whole-system working and streamline processes.
- Conducted regular progress and gateway reviews with Health Care Partnership ensuring transparency and trust-building across programme.
- Strategised resource allocation to maximise efficiency without compromising on quality of deliverables.
- Oversaw budgeting requirements for multiple programmes reducing unnecessary expenditure.
- Provided leadership in a complex and changing environment, promoting flexibility and resilience among team members including during Covid Pandemic, facilitating the transition to remote working.
- Trained high-performing teams to deliver on programme objectives, increasing retention and improving delivery of recovery.
Director of Commissioning and Transformation
NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group
08.2012 - 08.2019
- Executive Director for Commissioning and Transformation with responsibility for reporting to the Board on development of the longer-term commissioning strategy to deliver in line with national guidance and strategic direction, as well as developing and delivering the annual Operational and Financial Recovery Plans.
- Successfully developed and performance managed the delivery of the Operational Plan and Financial Recovery Plan, seeing delivery of over £6 million of efficiencies each year, involving innovative changes to care delivery. All plans were underpinned by analysis of local intelligence and benchmarking data including Rightcare, GIRFT and Atlas of variation as well as local needs assessment ensuring delivery of improved value.
- As a strategic thinker, led the development of the West Cheshire Way; the local vision for the delivery of integrated health and social care across West Cheshire. As a result of which the health economy was awarded over £4million as a Multispecialty Community Provider test site within the national New Care Model programme. This led on to the development of the Cheshire West Integrated Care Partnership, a collaboration of statutory partners working together to deliver arevised target operating model enabling more care closer to home.
- Key Achievements:
- Leading the successful negotiation of a single mental health contract across 4 organisations. Effectively engaging senior management and clinical leadership to agree a contract that would ensure continued improvement against prioritised outcomes within the five year forward view and delivery against the mental health investment standard. This was underpinned by a county-wide Service Development and Improvement Plan, to align Trust focus with system priorities, particularly in relation to the development of admission avoidance/reduced acute dependence.
- Combining effective clinical leadership and engagement with implementation of national/regional best practice to deliver multiple innovations across all programme areas. For example within elective care; the development of an integrated community and secondary care respiratory service, that enables improved initial diagnosis and individuals with higher acuity to be effectively managed in the community. This has realised savings of over £200,000 within West Cheshire to date, with roll out commencing across Cheshire.
- Having board level responsibility for performance, led the development of performance dashboards across all programme areas and instigated effective reporting arrangements and working relationships with providers that enable use of intelligence to fully understand impact of interventions. Ensuring successful organisational assurance with NHS England.
- Embedded effective Programme Management Office (PMO) infrastructure, including use of Gateway review meetings for each programme to enable collaboration across teams/organisations and effective tracking of progress towards improved performance.
- Leadership of the development of a risk stratification and predictive analytical tool that combined data feeds from primary, secondary, community, mental health and social care combined with a recognised algorithm, to enable the identification at practice and Primary Care Network level, of those patients at rising risk of admission. Effectively engaging multiple clinicians in its ongoing development and developed a successful contracting management approach
Head of Collaborative Commissioning
Cheshire West Primary Care Trust
11.2009 - 08.2012
Head of Primary and Community Care
Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust
01.2006 - 01.2009
Education
A-Levels - Biology, Chemistry, Maths, General Studies, French
West Kirby Grammar School for Girls
Wirral 09.1993 - 06.1995
BSc. Hons. - Neuroscience
Nottingham University
Postgraduate Certificate - Management
Open University
Masters - Public Administration
Open University
Skills
- Visionary thinking and strategic development
- Stakeholder management
- Data analytics and interpretation
- Resource efficiency management
- Complex Programme management
- Leadership acumen
Certification
- Certificate in Public Health, Open University 2020
- Managing Successful Programmes, 2009
- Business Critical Role Leadership Programme, 2011
- Commissioning for Outcomes, 2013
- Compassionate Coaching Skills, 2014
- NHS Top Leaders Programme, 2014
- Values-based Interviewing, 2018
- Oliver McGowan training, 2023
- Inclusive recruitment, 2026
- Tactical Commander training, 2025
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Place Director
Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board
05.2023 - 06.2026
Associate Director of Transformation and Partnerships
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB
07.2022 - 05.2023
Greater Manchester Programme Director Elective Care
Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership
09.2019 - 06.2022
Director of Commissioning and Transformation
NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group
08.2012 - 08.2019
Head of Collaborative Commissioning
Cheshire West Primary Care Trust
11.2009 - 08.2012
Head of Primary and Community Care
Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust
01.2006 - 01.2009
A-Levels - Biology, Chemistry, Maths, General Studies, French
West Kirby Grammar School for Girls
09.1993 - 06.1995
Masters - Public Administration
Open University
BSc. Hons. - Neuroscience
Nottingham University
Postgraduate Certificate - Management
Open University