Board of Directors

Chairman, John Stevens

John started in the NHS in 1969 as a Junior Medical Laboratory Technician and has continued to be employed within this arena some 48 years later.

During his career John has been employed in many roles; as a laboratory worker, research worker, laboratory manager, department manager and general manager. He has managed other Clinical and non-Clinical Specialties. John was President of the IBMS 2009/10 and worked with the DH on Modernising Scientific Careers. He was a CPA inspector for 16 years and a Non-Executive Director of CPA for 4 years until it became part of UKAS. In March 2012 John was appointed as Non-Executive Director (Life Sciences) for the Academy. In August 2012 he joined the Board of ‘Lab Tests Online’, and in March 2013 he was appointed as a Royal College of Pathology Consultancy Advisor. He took over as Chair of the Academy in 2015.

Registrar and Chief Executive, Janet Monkman

Janet joined the Academy as CEO in February 2013, bringing with her a strong commitment to the values of the Academy – most importantly the benefits of bringing together the entire Healthcare Science profession to benefit patient care and advance the Healthcare Science workforce. Janet took over the role of Registrar in February 2017.

Janet has had a long career in healthcare building from her work as a clinician to move into teaching and later management. She has a wide portfolio of experience in executive, chief executive and non-executive roles in public, private and third sector.

Non-Executive Director, Prof. Anthony Fisher

Tony is a Consultant Clinical Scientist. He works at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and the University of Liverpool. Originally, he qualified in Medicine but went on to train in Clinical Engineering and then Medical Physics. In recent years, his main work has centred on the postgraduate Education and Training of NHS Healthcare Scientists and the implementation of Modernising Scientific Careers. He is the Non-Executive Director for the Physical Sciences at the Academy for Healthcare Science. He was awarded the MBE for his services to Clinical Engineering and Medical Physics in 2017.

Outside of work, Tony is a keen ultra-endurance triathlete and has completed over 50 IronMan races and represented Team GB on a number of occasions.

Non-Executive Director, Lynne Smith, MBE

Lynne Smith MBE is a Clinical Scientist in GI Physiology. She works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Newcastle University. She is a Fellow of the Association of GI Physiologists (FAGIP) and (Honorary) Fellow of Health Care Science (Hon. FHCS).

Lynne graduated with an MSc in Health and Social Care Science at Sheffield Hallam University and has worked in Further and Higher Education for 37 years, including roles GI module lead at De Montfort University and Newcastle University. Her previous roles have included Chair of the Association of GI Physiologists, Vice Chair of RCCP, Chair of AGIP Education Committee and is an active member of the Healthcare Science Trailblazer group; developing the Level 2-4 Healthcare Science Standard for the new HCS Apprenticeship Scheme. She also worked with the MSC team to produce the modules for the MSc Clinical Science in GI Physiology and Urodynamics. She is currently STP Programme Lead for AHCS, is a member of the AHCS Governance and Scrutiny Committee and is an equivalence assessor for STP and HSST.

Non-Executive Director, Geoff Lester

Geoff Lester retired from full time NHS clinical practise in 2014 from the post of Clinical Director of Pathology at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. During his clinical career he had an interest in pituitary endocrinology and laboratory informatics. He was involved in national projects, working with the ill-fated SPfIT patient record project and was clinical biochemistry lead from the beginning of the Royal College of Pathologists National Laboratory Medicine Catalogue initiative.

He has worked extensively for the Federation of Clinical Scientists on NHS industrial relations and was Director of Regulatory Affairs for the ACB. He is still the FCS representative on NHS Staff Council and Public Health England Partnership Forum, NHS Pensions Scheme Advisory Board and the Pensions Board.

He has taught undergraduates at University of Reading, taught on the ACB Management Course and examines for the National School for Health Care Science. He is also currently a Fitness to Practice partner with the HCPC.

For relaxation he likes cooking, Beethoven and is an active masters rower and president of his boat club.

Non-Executive Director, Shelley Heard

Professor Shelley Heard was the Deputy Dean Director of the London Deanery, University of London for some 15 years, during which time she was Lead Dean for the 6 Pathology specialties, until December 2010.  During this period, she was seconded to the Department of Health to advise on the training of doctors and in 2007 became the Programme Director for the Chief Scientific Officer’s Modernising Scientific Careers programme, developing training and a career pathway for the healthcare science workforce. She was Director of Training and Education at the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) from 2008-2010. In November 2017 Shelley was elected as Vice President (Learning) at the RCPath.

Shelley trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School and was subsequently a senior registrar at Great Ormond Street before being appointed to Barts as Senior lecturer in Medical Microbiology and later as Honorary Professor at University College London. She was appointed as the first Chief Executive at the Homerton Hospital and served on the North London Strategic Health Authority for 6 years. She was an Independent Member on the Northwest London LETB and Chair of their Independent Assurance Committee for 4 years. Following a period of ill-health, Shelley set up SRRRH Consultancy Ltd in 2011, which provides health and healthcare education consultancy. Shelley has recently been appointed to the Board of Governors of the Inns of Court College of Advocacy as the Professional Education & Training Governor.

Non-Executive Director and Professional Standards and Education Committee Vice Chair – Dr Joy Tweed

Dr Joy Tweed has held governance roles in health-related fields for more than 20 years, having served as a lay member on a Primary Care Trust, as a member of the disciplinary committee at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB, a trustee of a local hospice, a council member at the Health and Care Professions Council (2009 to 2016), and a term as Chair of its Education and Training Committee. Joy became a director of the RCCP in 2017, bringing governance and patient/public involvement expertise and also chairing the Professional Standards and Education Committee.

Joy was a senior lecturer at the University of Westminster (2005 to 2023), where she was a Course leader for an MSc Governing, Leading and Managing Healthcare (2007 to 2020) then subsequently a module leader on the MBA and for a Master’s module on leadership in a global context. Her PhD, awarded in 2017, explored governance and the role of the non-executive director and she has been involved in further research into governance.

Joy originally trained as an ophthalmic nurse and retains a strong interest in eye health. She is currently Chair of the Local Optical Committee Support Unit.

Non-Executive Director, Lay Member – Marketing, Communications and PR – Amanda Orchard

Amanda Orchard has worked for over 20 years in the field of Marketing and Communications on consumer brands, heading up marketing teams in large FMCG businesses, developing & leading strategic marketing plans on new product development and producing large scale TV & digital media campaigns. She currently works as a marketing consultant on various national and international projects bringing her expertise and knowledge to different emerging business environments.

She sits on various boards as a Lay Member at National level including the Royal College of General Practitioners, The Royal College of Surgeons and is also a disciplinary panel member of English Netball and British Canoeing. She is also a volunteer within her local community as a trustee of a cancer charity, a patients association and is a Magistrate sitting on the Cambridgeshire bench.

Dean Fathers DL

Dean has held numerous senior appointments across the health and life science sector.

Currently Chair of the Midlands Engine Health Board, he is also Independent Chair of Quality Safety and Risk at Voyage Care and a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman, where he chairs the Quality Committee. He is also an advisor to digital health organisations ATMPS, Blum Health, Cerina, NeedleSmart, Oxehealth, PDMS, Sekoia and Tuli Health and chairs the Midlands Medilink Digital Health Special Interest Group.

An Honorary Professor of Healthcare Leadership at the University of Nottingham’s Business School, Dean also Chairs the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Lincoln International Institute for Rural Healthcare and the Centre for Organisational Resilience at the University of Lincoln.

Formerly Chair of separate Acute, Community, Mental Health and Primary Care NHS Trusts, Dean has also held board roles with the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, NHS Leadership Academy and NHS Providers. He is a Lay Member of the Academy of Health and Care Science’s Regulation Board and chairs the Academy’s Life Science Industry Steering Group.

Dean has held numerous Board roles with health related third sector organisations too and is currently a Trustee of charities Portland College and Care After Combat.

View AHCS Management Board Terms of Reference here.