Suzanne McKenna
Oldham,Gtr Manchester
Summary
Experienced professional with a robust background in medical terminology, quality management systems, and project management. Demonstrated expertise in internal auditing, risk management, and patient safety incident response. Proven leadership and management skills honed through comprehensive training programmes including the Accelerated Leader Development Programme and Management and Leadership: Growing as a Manager. Adept at delivering impactful presentations and influencing stakeholders effectively. Career goal: to leverage extensive training and skills to drive excellence in healthcare administration and patient safety initiatives.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Governance Lead
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
, Greater Manchester
04.2019 - Current
- Developed detailed reports on governance activities, providing transparency into organisational operations.
- Conducted comprehensive audits of governance systems to identify areas for improvement.
- Drafted new policy documentation and briefing papers.
- Examined established policies to identify weaknesses and needed updates.
- Guided team members on best practices in corporate governance, fostering a culture of compliance within the organisation.
- Enhanced operational efficiency through process improvement initiatives.
- Trained staff on risk awareness, fostering a culture of risk consciousness across organisation.
- Coordinated response plans for identified risks, enhancing organisational resilience.
- Delivered regular reports on risk profiles to senior management team for informed decision-making.
- Fostered cross-functional collaboration in executing risk mitigation strategies; enhanced collective effort towards common goal.
- Established, monitored and reported on risk management metrics to assist with decision-making.
- Supported compliance with GDPR, UK Data Protection Act 2018 and other relevant data protection laws.
- Monitored staff adherence to company policies whilst handling complaints, ensuring consistency in service standards.
- Developed a standard operating procedure manual detailing the processes involved in handling a complaint from receipt to resolution.
- Devised and implemented comprehensive complaints handling procedures for smoother operations.
- Collaborated with multi-disciplinary staff to instill culture-wide culture of accountability and compliance.
- Oversaw complaint handling procedures, ensuring swift resolution whilst adhering to regulatory guidelines.
- Provide high level support and advice to the PAA Managing Director and the Senior Management team in the development, coordination and management of key areas in respect of the Trust’s Risk, Quality Improvement, Performance and Governance Agenda.
- Support PAA with all aspects of compliance, particularly in relation to preparation for inspections/audits and monitoring follow-up actions.
- Identify key issues and trends in relation to complaints, risks and incidents, and produce high level reports for various committees at both internal and Care Organisational level and escalate appropriately where improvements are required.
- Assist with the preparation of information for submission to CQC, commissioners, or other external bodies including NHSI, NHSE and MIAA.
- Support the PAA Managing Director in the development of initiatives to promote an ethos of continuous learning and improvement of services across PAA.
- Facilitate and support the implementation of specific quality improvement initiatives/projects on behalf of the PAA Managing Director.
- Be the point of contact for any governance related queries from the Care Orgs or corporate governance ie complaints, incidents, Risks and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
- Support the SMT and Operational Leaders to manage their incidents, risks and complaints effectively and timely.
- Record, assign and monitor all complaints, SI's, Inquests and FOI's identifying the most appropriate person to action.
- Lead in the development and maintenance of processes to log, track, and review actions in relation to incidents, complaints and Coronial inquests.
- Review all DATIX incidents submitted to PAA and assign an appropriate investigator.
- Represent PAA in attending NCA Governance related meetings in order that issues, concerns and risks are noted and actioned as appropriate and in a timely manner.
- Undertake the analysis, and reporting of all aspects of Governance, KPI’s, Service Level Agreements to be reviewed at the PAA Senior Managers monthly team meeting.
- Coordinate the management and reporting of any Serious Incidents and enact Duty of Candour where appropriate.
- monitor and coordinate timely responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests
- Ensure that Incidents and complaints emerging themes and trends are identified, analysed and reported to the Managing Director of PAA and where required, support the development of risk assessments and the monitoring of remedial action plans.
- To provide advice, guidance and support to Operational Leads and Support Managers investigation teams to ensure high quality reports are developed in response to incidents and complaints and learning shared.
- To develop and deliver internal governance training courses for all new PAA staff.
- Provide an approachable source of knowledge and support to all staff at all levels and disciplines.
- Act as the project manager and coordinator for governance related developments • L
- ine Manage the PAA Office Administrator and Governance Administrator *
- Ensure SMT have appropriate training and knowledge on the new PSIRF *
- Work collaboratively with other Care Org Governance colleagues to prevent reoccurrence of incidents. •
- Support the NCA complaints team ensuring that complaints are appropriately investigated, responded to in a timely manner and that learning is embedded.
Patient Relations Senior Officer
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh NHS Teaching Hospital
Wigan, Lancashire
05.2010 - 03.2019
- Provide patients and relatives with non-clinical advice and information abut the Trusts hospital services and signpost them to external services via telephone, email, hospital internet and personal callers.
- Investigated and resolved patients queries, concerns and formal complaints about their treatment and care by using the trusts IT systems and liaising and mediating with the appropriate staff members ie clinicians, ward staff, admin staff, etc.
- Provide the Patient Relations Manager with weekly DATIX reports to present to the trusts Executive SMT.
- Maintained high levels of staff morale, resulting in increased productivity.
- Built strong relationships with key stakeholders for mutual benefit.
Quality & Compliance Manager
Endospine Kinetics/Arthro-Kinetics
Macclesfield/Stuttgart, Cheshire/Germany
01.2004 - 03.2009
- Managed the rebranding of all spine products with packaging ensuring compliance to the Quality System.
- Prepared product Technical Files for FDA approval to enable American sales.
- Managed and implemented an upgrade of the full Quality System and a successful renewal of CE approvals.
- Designed an inventory management system using Microsoft Access. Maintained and updated the approved suppliers list and supplier files. Monitored the effectiveness of the supplier base and quality performance.
- Coordinated and acted as a point of contact for the product design change.
- Managed and maintained existing ISO13485 Quality System. Responsible for the product and system training of all German staff and ensured the smooth handover of supplier contracts and Quality system.
- Ensured compliance with regulatory standards by conducting rigorous internal audits.
- Maintained company certifications by regularly reviewing and updating compliance documentation.
- Identified areas of non-compliance, initiating prompt corrective measures.
- Managed complex negotiations with suppliers, securing favourable terms and conditions.
Education
BTEC Certificate - Customer Service (specific to NHS Patient Safety)
Wigan & Leigh College
Wigan 01.2014 - 05.2016
Skills
- Medical Terminology for Medical Secretaries PAS Medical Limited 12 Months 2002 ISO 13485:2016 -
- Medical Devices Quality Management Systems - Internal Auditor Training Course SGS 1 week 2006
- Management and Leadership: Growing as a Manager CMI & Open University 12 weeks 2018
- Prince2 Project Management Foundation Course Learning 247 12 months 2019
- DATIX Web Reports Training NCA Corporate Governance 1/2 day 2019
- DATIX Risk Management Training NCA Corporate Governance 3 hours 2021
- Presentation Skills NCA Talent and Organisational Development 2 days 2023
- Accelerated Leader Development Programme NCA Talent and Organisational Development 1 day 2023
- Personal Impact & Influencing Skills NCA Talent and Organisational Development 1 day 2024
- Patient Safety Incident Response Framework HSSIB 37 hours 2024
Affiliations
- Love travelling the UK in our motorhome
Certification
Recently commenced Advanced Certificate in Healthcare Governance by the Chartered Governance Institute to consolidate the learning from my experience into a specific governance related qualification.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Governance Lead
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
04.2019 - Current
BTEC Certificate - Customer Service (specific to NHS Patient Safety)
Wigan & Leigh College
01.2014 - 05.2016
Patient Relations Senior Officer
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh NHS Teaching Hospital
05.2010 - 03.2019
Quality & Compliance Manager
Endospine Kinetics/Arthro-Kinetics
01.2004 - 03.2009
Recently commenced Advanced Certificate in Healthcare Governance by the Chartered Governance Institute to consolidate the learning from my experience into a specific governance related qualification.
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