Meet the RCN North West Regional Board

Chair of the North West Board, Carmel O'Boyle, introduces the members representing your local branches and committees regionally. 

Carmel O’Boyle (Chair)
I am lucky to have enjoyed a very varied career! I initially studied Chemistry and Forensics, then Pharmacology from 1998 at the same time as starting my nursing career by working as a HCA for many years at trusts in Scotland and England for 16 years. 

When I completed my pharmacology studies in 2005, I became a pub landlady before studying adult nursing at Liverpool John Moores University and beginning my registered nursing career in orthopaedics from 2017-2020.

I then became a nurse practitioner at walk in centres across Merseyside and worked my way up to a senior nurse practitioner and prescriber earlier this year. 

I became a steward after a visit to Congress before becoming branch secretary for the RCN Greater Liverpool & Knowsley branch in 2017 and chair from 2018. I joined the North West board in 2019, was successfully nominated as chair in 2021 and then the England Board Chair Group in 2023 .

Outside of the RCN, I am a member of the Lourdes Healthcare Team and have just completed an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice. I am also a proud mum to amazing Jack and a keen musician

Deborah Fagan
I began my nurse training in 1989 at Whiston School of Nursing and qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1992. I have now been working for the NHS for 34 years. My acute nursing background was predominantly working in A&E and community nursing background was as a Health Visitor.

I have experience of working in both provider and commissioning organisations and was the Chief Nurse across two CCGs prior to becoming the system Nurse Director for Urgent Care and System Flow in Sefton. I currently work for NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB in the same role.

I have recently become a RCN Steward and decided to put myself forward for election as I felt I had a lot to offer as a Board Member and could make a positive contribution to the work of my Professional Body. I could also bring to the role a variety of experience as a nurse leader and, in addition, felt it would support my on-going development as a nurse leader.

Regional Director Estephanie Dunn has been such an inspiration to me through our working together over the years that she was also a contributing factor to me putting myself forward for election.

Alison Fitzsimons
I have 35-years’ experience of working in healthcare, both in the NHS and Independent Sector.  I am currently the Chief Nurse for Community Health and Eye Care, and based in Preston, Lancashire.  

My career more recently has been in leadership positions and I hold a masters level qualification in Executive Healthcare  Leadership for Clinicians (NHS Leadership Academy).  I am honoured and delighted to have become a an RCN board member and look forward to the challenge.

Lucy Garuba
My motivation and journey to becoming an adult nurse began when I worked as a domiciliary carer in an Independent Health Sector in my community. I noticed that I was always fulfilled when serving and advocating for the ill and vulnerable clients (patients), leading me to study for my level two Mental Health Awareness to learn how best to manage the needs of the patients. 

Equally, meeting the needs of the clients and their family members always makes me feel appreciated. I remember wanting to do more for my clients but I was restricted by lacking in some areas the skills and competencies I would require to do so. Watching the district nurses and other health care workers remain professional and thoughtful as they cared for patients in the community encouraged my decision to seek employment at my hospital to attain nursing skills. 

Whilst working at the hospital as a healthcare assistant, I understood the importance of self-care and remaining calm in a high-pressure environment. When the pandemic started, I was transferred to the Respiratory High Dependency Unit, which was both challenging and rewarding in equal measure. The risk of Covid-19 complications was higher within the Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, which concerned my family. I knew of the risk and how Covid-19 could affect me differently. However, I was so proud to be at the frontline during the pandemic, watching people recover, clapping for the survivors as they walked out of the department and practising last offices to the beautiful souls we got to know towards their end. 

What fascinated and inspired me to train as a nurse was the how both the care for and the fight for our patients were equally important. I was also so proud to find how resilient we all were as a team during the pandemic. Now, some time into the role as a mature Healthcare Assistant (HCA), I am always looking for ways to develop the skills that will improve my delivery of care. I’ll become a better HCA in the future by keeping up with my continuous practice development such as keeping my competencies current. 

I enrolled in a college to study Access to Nursing and Midwifery and Allied Professions and, subsequently, got accepted to study for a nursing degree at the University of Manchester. However, somewhere along the way, self-doubt and fear of failure kicked in. I doubted if I could learn, to be a mother of two, a wife and a student nurse all at the same time. I began to question whether it was the right thing for me. My mother, who always supports me, reassured me and reminded me of where I was coming from and what my capabilities were. I became resilient and confident with my decision of training as a nurse.

Throughout my training I have learnt the importance of volunteering your time to represent and contribute to the nursing profession. I am a Board member of the Royal College of Nursing North West, a Student Ambassador and Student Council member of NHS England. I trained as a lead trainer delivering the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme to students and am currently involved in the Anionwu Student Fellowship for Inclusivity project.

I am confident in advocating for the region I represent, especially students, and for the outcome I believe would most benefit them. Many Black healthcare professionals face numerous barriers to their progression and usually low representation in organisations and spaces. This is where the pressure and fear of failure can manifest. Becoming more involved and volunteering increases representation in different sectors and I would encourage my fellow Black students to take the time to do so wherever possible.

The independent sector is not always presented as an option to a student nurse while training, it usually has the fewest placement allocations. I would certainly consider working within the independent sector when I qualify, as it is part of my background in health care. The independent sector primarily provides health and social care in the community, and this sector can be after-hospital care, rehabilitation and General Practice treatment to patients. 

The independent sector also provides more time spent with each patient, providing them with a greater level of care and support. There is also a balance of a work/life for staff. 

It makes me happy to know that Black Asian, minority Ethnic (BAME) healthcare professionals are taking an interest in volunteering and representation and that we are finally starting to recognise that the world really is our oyster.


Maggy Heaton
I was elected RCN Council member for the North West in July 2022, which gives me an ex-officio place on the North West Regional Board. Prior to this I was Chair of the RCN UK Stewards Committee, Interim Chair of the RCN North West Regional Board, and Chair of RCN Lancashire West Branch - all in the last 14 years. I am now a full-time released RCN representative and Staff Side Chair at Blackpool Teaching Hospital, having recently given up my District Nursing Role due to the work demands of the RCN, my Trust, and the ICS.

I am passionate about nursing, nurses, and the RCN. Having been a professional nurse for the last 34 years, I have witnessed many changes which we thought at the time were ‘for the best’. Time has shown, however, that they were not. We are still under-recognised, under-valued and under-rewarded for working in a safety critical profession. This must change. We must change and recognise our own worth. 89% of nursing is female and this, I believe is used against us. 

I am currently actively working with my Trust to up-band our B2 HCA’s to B3. I am an advocate of the proposed Pay Spine; 50% of nurses are stuck at the bedside and end their career at a B5, where they entered it. Many want to remain delivering direct patient care and do not want to go into management. We need those nurses recognised and rewarded for the expertise they bring to their teams. 

I became your Council member because I felt the North West voice was not being heard sufficiently. This is now being achieved through encouraging members to contact me directly with their issue. I take those same issues to Council meetings. I have been actively involved in the campaigns for pay and safe staffing with a four country perspective, but actively throughout the North West.

Being a Council member is extremely demanding, but as an active member of the RCN I find it extremely rewarding - I personally love that pressure. 


Mark Jarnell
I am currently employed as a Bank Healthcare Assistant for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, as well as been a Bank Emergency Care Assistant within the private event medical sector for three North West and West Midland based companies, meaning I work all over the country.

I am based in Lancaster and I am currently on a break from my nursing studies at the University of Cumbria in Lancaster, where I am studying to be a Mental Health nurse. I am also proud to be an RCN Student Ambassador and Student Trustee for the University of Cumbria Student Union. 

With the North West RCN Region I am on the branch executive of the Lancashire West branch where I am the Treasurer and I also an elected North West Regional Board Member.

I decided to submit my nomination to join the regional board as I had been heavily involved with the North West Student Ambassador scheme and had seen the great leadership and direction the previous NW Student Committee member, James Savage, had demonstrated in ensuring the student voice was heard at a regional level. I had also joined as many regional calls as I could as an observer and saw just how passionate the board members were about ensuring that the nursing family across our region were heard and actions taken.

After chatting with Josh Gilroy, who had been a student nurse at Cumbria at the time and had joined the regional boar, I first saw the difference having a student on the board could make. The student of today is your colleague of tomorrow and we are one nursing family, joined together with the shared passion and responsibility to care for our patients and advocate for our profession.  

I’m a mature student and someone who has a wealth of experience within management and supervisory roles, plus working as a trade union shop steward for two different unions in two totally different industries. My experience covered both the private and voluntary sectors. I also bring lived experience of living well with poor mental health and can speak passionately on how the current system of both nursing education and the current healthcare model isn't serving people's needs.

My passion is that as nurses we must respect that we are all doing our very best in difficult times and situations. We all have mental health that needs protecting and, within our nursing community, we have amazing people who will have their own struggles, stresses and illness to cope with. So we should be kind, supportive, respectful of each other and remember that we have more in common as RCN members than differences. 

Sadly, I saw first-hand the stigma that still exists within the healthcare sector towards those struggling with their mental health, as well as some poor attitudes and behaviours from senior nursing staff towards healthcare assistants and other lower band staff. 

I wanted to challenge the obsession with bands to ensure that at the highest level locally within the RCN these views were not only heard but challenged by pro-actively seeking to influence the discussion and understanding we have on all health conditions. I want to ensure that members across the North West are able to be open about their health, as it's okay not to be okay, and to get the message out that they have the support and information they need, regardless of band or role. 

As a result I felt empowered to join the board to use my knowledge and lived experience in a professional and positive way to influence and inform change and to build better relationships with nurses of all levels to challenge the status quo. 

Sanjithkumar Nair
I am Sanjithkumar Nair, and it is with great honour and enthusiasm that I introduce myself as a proud member of the RCN North West regional board. With a diverse professional journey spanning continents and disciplines, I bring a unique blend of experiences and perspectives to the table.

Originally from the vibrant land of India, I embarked on my nursing journey in 2007, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My early years were marked by dedication and service, as I served as an operating theatre nurse in a reputable hospital, and later as a lecturer at a prestigious nursing college. In 2010, my quest for growth and new horizons led me to the United Kingdom, where I pursued an MBA in international management from the University of Wales. 

My transition to the UK marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in my career. From humble beginnings as a healthcare assistant in a nursing home, I embarked on an entrepreneurial venture, founding my own healthcare staffing company in 2014. Despite facing challenges, including visa issues that necessitated a temporary return to India, my resilience and determination remained unwavering.

In 2019, the University of Morecambe Bay offered me an opportunity to return to the UK as an international nurse. Since then, I have dedicated myself to serving within the esteemed Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. My roles have evolved from critical care staff nurse to clinical placement facilitator, and most recently, to the esteemed secondment role of clinical governance and risk manager in medicine at LTHTR. 

Throughout my journey, I have been a passionate advocate for leadership, patient safety, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and the empowerment of internationally educated and trained healthcare professionals. My commitment to continuous improvement and quality assurance is exemplified through my participation in various leadership programmes, including the prestigious Florence Nightingale Windrush Leadership Programme.

My journey with the RCN began in 2019, when I found a platform to amplify my voice and effect meaningful change within the nursing community. As a learning rep and later as a member of the RCN North West regional board, I have championed the cause of nurses and healthcare workers tirelessly. My involvement in critical events such as the nurses' strike action and my role as co-chair for the Ethnicity Ambassador Forum/Staff Network for LTHTR reflect my dedication to fostering positive change.

As I step into my role as an RCN North West regional board member, I am fuelled by a passion for leadership, patient safety, EDI, and the advancement of nursing excellence. I am committed to leveraging my expertise and experiences to address the pressing issues facing our profession and to advocate for the needs of our diverse workforce.
I am deeply honoured to serve alongside esteemed colleagues and look forward to collaborating with you all to shape a brighter future for nursing in the North West region.


Adrian Owen Williams
I am originally from Anglesey and, as a second language, speak fluent Welsh.   In January 1992 I trained as a Mental Health Nurse and since qualifying have worked in Adult Acute, Psychiatric Intensive Care, Youth Offending Services, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Developmental Paediatrics, in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings.    

Currently I work in both the private and NHS sectors and from 2012 – 2018 was the Lead Practitioner for ADHD and ASD at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.  I am also a specialist in treating neurodevelopmental disorders and has extensive experience in the psychological treatment of trauma.  

I have been a member of the RCN since 1996 and served as lead steward, Welsh Board Member, Hon Treasurer of the RCN Welsh Board, chair of a branch, and treasurer of Greater Knowsley and Liverpool Branch.

I have a Masters Degree of Education 2001 in Counselling and a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (1998). I am a qualified EMDR Therapist for both adults, and children, a 3Di Autistic Spectrum Assessor, and an Independent Non-Medical Prescriber V300 (2007).  Experienced prescriber in developmental paediatrics and psychiatry.

I have had research published on trauma as well articles published on ADHD and Attachment Disorder.  I have spoken at many conferences and events both in the UK and abroad and chaired a European Mental Health Nurses Conference. I have sat on conference scientific committees and a number of pharmaceutical advisory boards.  

I have also responded on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing on a number of NICE Guidelines including ADHD and ASD. 

I have extensive experience ADHD treatment optimization through medication. Using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Rehabilitation) I have experience in treating trauma, anxiety, performance anxiety and phobias.  Through Psychodynamic Counselling, treating depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and panic attacks, and also treating tic disorders/Tourette’s Syndrome with Habit Reversal Therapy.

I have been working with ADHD patients since approximately 2001 through the NHS and since 2015, in private practice, covering children, adolescents and adults.

I am also an assessor for therapeutic use exemption for sports and athletics, including professional footballers.

Andrea Willimott
I have been an RCN member throughout my career, starting in 1984 when I became a student nurse. I bring more than 36 years of experience, having worked in a wide range of roles across acute trusts, primary care, three STP system roles and I recognise the importance of partnership working at all levels.

I am fundamentally driven by the need to support high quality services for patients and support staff to be the best they can be to deliver care. I am passionate about people development and mentor and coach staff at all levels throughout the NHS. 

I have an excellent understanding of policy, practice and governance. I have a good knowledge of the North West area, having previously undertaken nursing leadership roles in Consortia, Confederation and SHA's, which required cross organisational working and working on key programmes of work on a North West footprint.

Bernie Miller, North West representative on the RCN Stewards’ Committee
Alongside my full-time job as a Mum to two daughters (and two grand-daughters!), I’ve also worked a second full-time job for over 40 years as a Registered Nurse. The old adage about ‘if you want something doing, ask a busy person’ is most certainly true when it comes to those of us juggling a home and family life. 

Despite the multiple demands on my time, I’m lucky enough to have had a fulfilling and busy career, continually developing and growing and learning different specialisms. I started my career in neuroscience nursing and moved on into working in high dependency units and with ventilated patients. 

In my time I’ve been a Staff Nurse, a Deputy Matron, a Ward Manager and a Discharge Lounge Manager, amongst other roles, but it was in 2010 that I lay the foundation for my current role as Staff Side Chair/Partnership at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTH) by first joining the RCN. 

In 2014 I undertook my Reps training and was proud to become an RCN Steward in my Trust. I’ve spent the intervening eight years passionately advocating for the RCN, encouraging sign up to membership and encouraging more colleagues to become reps. 
These efforts have paid off - from being the only steward, we now have a further two stewards in the Trust, with two more in training, plus two learning representatives and two Health and Safety representatives. 

My role is primarily to support our members by ensuring there is effective communication between our RCN team and our RCN members within the Trust. It was gratifying to receive favourable feedback from the Chief Peoples Officer and Chief Nurse about the professional development of the relationship between staff side and management since my appointment and it is this relationship building that I hope to bring to my role on the Stewards Committee. 

Many senior managers within my Trust advise staff to contact me if they have issues. I strive to support them by a blend of patience, open communication and a depth of clinical knowledge that I have fine-tuned over the years.

The role has also afforded me the opportunity to be part of the Senior Managers meeting, which is lead by our Chief Nurse and has subsequently developed into the Leaders Forum. I work very closely with the eleven other accredited unions within the Trust and find that I am contacted for advice within their own areas. 

All these opportunities and experiences have combined to give me confidence to speak up and speak out for our members and to go the extra mile to support them when they are most in need. The ability to listen effectively, examine all viewpoints and verbalise my concerns or opinions are all skills that enable me to address problems and seek appropriate solutions. 

I’m very happy to have been given this opportunity to represent my fellow Stewards and am here to help and to listen. The role of the Stewards Committee is to represent your views and to help shape the RCN’s policies on workplace and employment rights and it is a privilege to be part of that process. 

I’m hoping to get along, virtually or otherwise, to as many NW branch meetings as I can in the coming months to meet you all. In the meantime, I’m here to represent you so if you are a Steward within the region and have something you wish to share or with which you would appreciate support, please do get in touch. My email is Bernadette.miller@rcn.reps.org.uk. 

Oladunni Akinbulumo, NW Professional Nursing Committee Rep
When I was younger, I dreamt of a career that would give me the opportunity to care for and support other people. To be where I am today, just nine years after completing my nurses training in my native Nigeria, sometimes still surprises yet always delights me. 

At the end of last year, I was elected to become the North West region’s representative on the Professional Nursing Committee. This is an opportunity I intend to seize with both hands. A chance to try to effect the change we nurses wish to see. The changes, in fact, that we need to see, to keep our patients safe and to protect our under-pressure workforce. I will use my time on the Committee doing all I can to improve the profession I love so much. 

Holding this role as an Internationally Educated Nurse makes me, perhaps, even more pleased. When I moved to the UK in 2019 to further my career, I found the transition difficult. As is the case for the vast majority of IENs, I was leaving behind my home and my family and starting over again in a new and unfamiliar place. 

After three years in Nigeria working in specialties including Medical and rehabilitation, I began my career in the UK on the acute respiratory ward at East Surrey Hospital. I’d describe the support I received at the time of my move as adequate. We had practice development nurses who supported OSCE Training and provided pastoral support, and the provision of staff accommodation for the first three months certainly took away one of the more stressful elements. 

The arrival of my family a few months later brought a new sense of finding where I really belonged and, in 2020, I made the move to East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, where I became an RCN Learning Rep and took up my current role as the Pastoral Care Nurse. It gives me enormous pleasure to play such an important role in supporting other IENs in their transition into life and work in this country. The challenges of such a move are many and the emotional toll of leaving behind the life you know can be very hard to bear if you don’t receive the help and support that you need. 

My greatest wish is to secure nurses, whatever the country of our birth, the recognition that our vast reserve of knowledge and skills so richly deserves. My colleagues on the PNC share this ambition, working tirelessly to advance the profession from every perspective. I hope in the year ahead that I will go some way towards achieving that aim.