Invited Speakers
Angie Balfour MSc, Angie is an ERAS Nurse Specialist at NHS Lothian and has been an integral part of ERAS UK and the ERAS Society for many years.
Dr Dimitris Koutoukadis, Dimitris is a dietitian and an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford. Ηis research focuses on testing how behavioural science can change dietary intake and improve outcomes for patients with obesity-related diseases, as well as exploring the mechanisms through which weight loss could exerts its effects. He currently leads a NIHR funded programme investigating whether planned weight loss before cancer surgery can reduce complications, particularly in people with colorectal or endometrial cancer.
Cathy Jones, Chief Operating Officer / Deputy CEO, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Cathy was appointed as the Deputy Chief Executive of the Trust following the merger in April 2020. Previously Cathy had been the Deputy Chief Executive of Luton & Dunstable University Hospital since 2018, and had been the acting Deputy Chief Executive from May 2017. Her previous post was as Director of Service Development. Cathy joined the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital as an Assistant General Manager in 2007 and has held various general management posts in the divisions of Medicine and Surgery. In August 2016 she was seconded to the Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes STP programme team as Programme Director for Secondary Care.
After completing her BSc in Physiology at the University of Liverpool, Cathy started her NHS career as an Information Analyst working for shared services in Hertfordshire, following which she spent three years at Northampton General Hospital working in Service Development. Cathy’s particular interests are in service improvement and transformation, and she is strongly committed to maintaining the Trust’s excellent reputation for delivery of high quality clinical services for our patients.
Imogen Fecher-Jones, ACP, RNIP, MSc
Clinical Academic, Perioperative Care, University Hospital Southampton
Imogen was the lead nurse and project manager for Perioperative Care at University Hospital Southampton, where she launched the ‘Fit 4 Surgery School’ in 2016 and led its transformation into a virtual patient webinar during the pandemic. She is now undertaking a Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Southampton, researching a live perioperative digital behaviour change intervention. Imogen has published in Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine, and British Journal of Hospital Medicine, and has a strong track record in leading sustainable improvements in surgical patient pathways.
Rich Butterfield leads the Operations Team within Clinical Improvement Analytics at NHS England, focusing on getting the right information into the Model Health System (MHS). His team builds automated data pipelines, brings in new content, and supports users across the NHS with practical insights and answers.
He has over 20 years of experience in NHS data and analytics, including 17 years in an acute trust setting, working across quality, transformation, urgent and planned care, finance, and commissioning. For the past four years, he's helped shape and grow the Model Health System at a national level.
Rich holds a Master's degree in Health Informatics, combining technical knowledge with a strong understanding of frontline care to design data and reporting tools that support healthcare improvement. He is particularly passionate about using automation to free up analysts' time so they can focus on interpreting data, providing answers, and ultimately helping clinicians and managers take action to improve care.
Maddy Connolly is Deputy Director of Clinical Analysis and Reducing Variation at NHS England. Her team is responsible for providing data and analytics to support clinically led programmes including Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT), National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP), and the National theatre programme. Maddy is a qualified accountant who has been working with NHS data for over 30 years - from within providers, commissioners, consultancy and in her current national role. She has a special interest in creating and disseminating benchmarking information to help identify variation and to support improvements in care.
Dr Dimitris Koutoukadis, Dimitris is a dietitian and an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford. Ηis research focuses on testing how behavioural science can change dietary intake and improve outcomes for patients with obesity-related diseases, as well as exploring the mechanisms through which weight loss could exerts its effects. He currently leads a NIHR funded programme investigating whether planned weight loss before cancer surgery can reduce complications, particularly in people with colorectal or endometrial cancer.
Cathy Jones, Chief Operating Officer / Deputy CEO, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Cathy was appointed as the Deputy Chief Executive of the Trust following the merger in April 2020. Previously Cathy had been the Deputy Chief Executive of Luton & Dunstable University Hospital since 2018, and had been the acting Deputy Chief Executive from May 2017. Her previous post was as Director of Service Development. Cathy joined the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital as an Assistant General Manager in 2007 and has held various general management posts in the divisions of Medicine and Surgery. In August 2016 she was seconded to the Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes STP programme team as Programme Director for Secondary Care.
After completing her BSc in Physiology at the University of Liverpool, Cathy started her NHS career as an Information Analyst working for shared services in Hertfordshire, following which she spent three years at Northampton General Hospital working in Service Development. Cathy’s particular interests are in service improvement and transformation, and she is strongly committed to maintaining the Trust’s excellent reputation for delivery of high quality clinical services for our patients.
Imogen Fecher-Jones, ACP, RNIP, MSc
Clinical Academic, Perioperative Care, University Hospital Southampton
Imogen was the lead nurse and project manager for Perioperative Care at University Hospital Southampton, where she launched the ‘Fit 4 Surgery School’ in 2016 and led its transformation into a virtual patient webinar during the pandemic. She is now undertaking a Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Southampton, researching a live perioperative digital behaviour change intervention. Imogen has published in Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine, and British Journal of Hospital Medicine, and has a strong track record in leading sustainable improvements in surgical patient pathways.
Rich Butterfield leads the Operations Team within Clinical Improvement Analytics at NHS England, focusing on getting the right information into the Model Health System (MHS). His team builds automated data pipelines, brings in new content, and supports users across the NHS with practical insights and answers.
He has over 20 years of experience in NHS data and analytics, including 17 years in an acute trust setting, working across quality, transformation, urgent and planned care, finance, and commissioning. For the past four years, he's helped shape and grow the Model Health System at a national level.
Rich holds a Master's degree in Health Informatics, combining technical knowledge with a strong understanding of frontline care to design data and reporting tools that support healthcare improvement. He is particularly passionate about using automation to free up analysts' time so they can focus on interpreting data, providing answers, and ultimately helping clinicians and managers take action to improve care.
Maddy Connolly is Deputy Director of Clinical Analysis and Reducing Variation at NHS England. Her team is responsible for providing data and analytics to support clinically led programmes including Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT), National Consultant Information Programme (NCIP), and the National theatre programme. Maddy is a qualified accountant who has been working with NHS data for over 30 years - from within providers, commissioners, consultancy and in her current national role. She has a special interest in creating and disseminating benchmarking information to help identify variation and to support improvements in care.
Organising committee
Mrs Irene Fitt, Clinical Lead Enhanced Recovery at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
Have been in post for nearly 12 years and as enthusiastic as ever!
Specialities we have on the programme are colorectal, bariatric, head and neck, gynae, obstetrics, urology and orthopaedics. Passionate about working together as an MDT as this leads to better care for our patients. Current areas of interest include reduction in routine post op bloods and day case protocols (including bariatric patients , orthopaedics and gynaecology).
Miss Hamira Ghafoor, Enhanced Recovery Facilitator at Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT. Approaching 10 years’ experience within ERAS leading on oesophagectomy, gastrectomy, cystectomy and nephrectomy enhanced recovery programmes. Led prehabilitation scoping for ERAS at the Trust and helped design programme pre-initiation (2016 to 2019). Have a focused interest in perioperative care and health inequalities.
Mrs Corinne Smart, Enhanced Recovery Facilitator at Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT. Lead for the Colorectal and Head and Neck Enhanced Recovery Programmes, with a special interest in post-discharge support and national collaboration to improve surgical outcomes for all. Committed to sharing best practices and advancing perioperative care.
Have been in post for nearly 12 years and as enthusiastic as ever!
Specialities we have on the programme are colorectal, bariatric, head and neck, gynae, obstetrics, urology and orthopaedics. Passionate about working together as an MDT as this leads to better care for our patients. Current areas of interest include reduction in routine post op bloods and day case protocols (including bariatric patients , orthopaedics and gynaecology).
Miss Hamira Ghafoor, Enhanced Recovery Facilitator at Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT. Approaching 10 years’ experience within ERAS leading on oesophagectomy, gastrectomy, cystectomy and nephrectomy enhanced recovery programmes. Led prehabilitation scoping for ERAS at the Trust and helped design programme pre-initiation (2016 to 2019). Have a focused interest in perioperative care and health inequalities.
Mrs Corinne Smart, Enhanced Recovery Facilitator at Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT. Lead for the Colorectal and Head and Neck Enhanced Recovery Programmes, with a special interest in post-discharge support and national collaboration to improve surgical outcomes for all. Committed to sharing best practices and advancing perioperative care.