Committee members January 2023

Meet our committee members:

Chair

Shirley Butler

Shirley commenced her nurse training in 1982 at Northampton General Hospital and has worked in many specialities, such a Gynaecology, Theatres, Day Surgery, Medical, Outpatients and Community hospitals in London, Portsmouth and Gloucestershire. She has over 36 years as a qualified nurse, with 16 years in Occupational Health. Shirley has a Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health from University of Birmingham completed in 2011.

Shirley has worked in the NHS and industry as a Occupational Health Advisor and is currently working for a NHS Occupational Health Department as Contracts Lead Nurse responsible for the private contracts side of the business that consists of many different external contracts to look after.

Shirley has been a member of the South West Occupational Health Nurses Group Since 2016

Vice Chair

Annie Bamford

Secretary

Chrissie Knight

Chrissie has a thirty year background in nursing, ranging from dermatology to intensive care, alongside twenty years’ experience in teaching children and adults, specialising in additional needs including dyslexia and neuro-divergence. She has worked in Occupational Health for the past 7 years and started as an independent provider (CK Occupational Health) in February 2022 – she says it is “the best decision I have made”.

Chrissie is passionate about Occupational Health and the many benefits this brings to businesses and employees alike. She completed a Bsc in Occupational Health in 2022 gaining a distinction, of which she is very proud!

Treasurer

Jo Edwards

Committee Members

Dawn Veal

Dawn trained in London in the 1980’s having spent two years working with Learning disabilities prior to commencing her General training. Having completed her training Dawn worked in rehabilitation medicine, acute medical wards and A & E and palliative care. Dawn started work in Occupational Health by accident in 1994 when her children were young. She was so inspired by the role she has never looked back.

Dawn undertook her OH degree at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and has a broad range of experience. She is an independent occupational health advisor who has lived and worked in the Southwest for over 17 years. and worked in a multitude of environments including manufacturing telecoms pharmaceuticals construction and have for the last five years been an independent.

Dawn is passionate about occupational health and the advantages of proactive health management in the work environment. She also enjoys supporting her colleagues with the conferences and own training in the Southwest for Occupational Health.

Dawn has been a member of the South West OH Nurses Group since 2010, and has also set up Study days twice a year in Exeter for other OHA’s since 2013 to support ongoing education in Occupational Health.

Dawn now lives in Cornwall and enjoys the outdoor life with her dogs.

Cat O’Connor