Vanessa Whatley
Chief Nursing Officer

Vanessa’s extensive career in nursing and quality improvement spans various senior roles across both acute and community services. Before becoming the Chief Nursing Officer at Shropshire Telford and Wrekin ICB, she held key positions such as Deputy Chief Nurse, Head of Nursing, and Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention at trusts in Birmingham and Wolverhampton. She also worked as a Programme Lead for Infection Prevention and Control at the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.

Her qualifications include a Professional Nurse Advocate certification, a postgraduate certificate in research, and a master’s degree in healthcare leadership. Vanessa’s professional interests encompass quality improvement, strategic leadership in public health to address health inequalities, the health and wellbeing of healthcare staff, nurse and AHP-led research opportunities, leadership in women’s health, prevention of harm, palliative and end-of-life care, and out-of-hospital services. She is particularly passionate about empowering nurses and AHPs to work at the top of their license and championing quality improvement.

Outside of work, Vanessa enjoys skiing, walking, exploring France, and spending time with her two teenagers and two spaniels.