Born in Liverpool,[1] her career started with nursing and has spanned a number of disciplines including midwifery, academia and the planning and development of new hospital projects.

She has more than 30 years nursing experience, including working as a Midwife and then a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University,[3] teaching Health Care and later Medical Law.

She worked on the trust board of Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology for 9 years as a non-executive director.

Appointed as a steward in 1988, since that time she has held a number of other unpaid roles within the organisation including positions as Safety Representative, Council Member and chair of Nursing Practice and Policy Committee before being elected to the role of president in 2010.

[7][8] She has represented the RCN in several fora, including at its Congress events[9] and notably also at conferences hosted in the UK Parliament's House of Commons.