Mrs Akhila Muthukrishnan, BDS, MPhil, FDSRCS, FFDRCSI, PGCME, Consultant in Special Care Dentistry, Clinical Lead Community Dental Services, Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB)

Mrs Akhila Muthukrishnan commenced her current Consultant post in SBUHB in 2020. She was a Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow and Honorary Consultant at Bristol Dental School prior to this post. Her portfolio career evolved through working as SAS dentist in SBUHB and general dental practice alongside teaching roles. She graduated from the University of Madras, India in 1990.

Akhila is leading change as SBUHB Community Dental Services (CDS) transitions to an integrated service spanning primary and secondary care. She has led the South Wales Special Care Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry MCN and is Chair of the CDS Clinical Directors group in Wales.

Akhila is driven by the need to enable safe and good quality access to care to vulnerable groups, within existing economic boundaries. This lines up with Prudent health care principles and the economic model postulated in ‘Doughnut Economics’ by Kate Raworth.

Akhila’s professional interests include:

• Preventive oral health care delivered in conjunction with dental public health funded national preventive programmes and the wider dental team including dental therapists and dental nurses.
• Developing lean, resilient systems to reduce waste.

A key piece of work Akhila is currebtly working on is cross service and cross health board collaboration on prevention of MRONJ in oncology patients.

Dr. Becky Hewitson, Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

Becky is a passionate advocate for children and young people, believing that her responsibility as a paediatrician expands beyond the walls of the hospital to both amplify the voices of children and young people and to help shape policy that impacts upon them.

She started her paediatric training in London, during which time she worked as a Clinical Fellow at NHS England contributing to the Department of Health’s Childhood Obesity Plan and helping to write the Prevention chapter of the NHS long-term plan.

Since moving back home to South Wales Becky has worked with the 111 national team to trial the introduction of paediatric specialist clinical advice within the service. The pilot demonstrated significant reduced unnecessary demand on urgent and emergency and has since been expanded into two further health boards.

Becky holds a PGCert in Advanced Leadership and has completed the Climb Leadership Programme with the Dragon’s Heart Institute.

Becky’s professional interests include:

• Wider determinants of health and prevention
• Co-production
• Climate change
• Health inequalities
• Clinical education

Becky has an interest in clinical education and has authored an award winning textbook. She runs a multi-specialty, multi-professional simulation course for CTMUHB to allow paediatric, anaesthetic and emergency department staff to train together in management of the critically ill child. She plans to expand this to include other health boards in future.

Ms. Safa Elhassan, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Swansea Bay University Health Board.

Ms. Safa Elhassan is a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Swansea Bay University Health Board and Clinical Lead for the Emergency Eye Department.

With a strong commitment to service improvement, Safa is passionate about enhancing eye care for both patients and staff — making services more efficient, effective, and enjoyable to work in.

Safa is currently leading the development of a Wales-wide scheme to expand hospital-based training opportunities for optometrists, helping to build capability and strengthen the future eye care workforce.

Kathryn Howard, Head of Pharmacy Quality & Safety, Medicines Management Children and Families & Diagnostics, Therapies, Pharmacy Services Lead, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

Kathryn Howard qualified as pharmacist in 2005 after studying for a Master of Pharmacy Degree at Cardiff University and a Pre-registration training year at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. She spent the next five years working as a Specialist Rotational Pharmacist across the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust before moving back to Wales to take up post as an Advanced Clinical Pharmacist for Surgery. The next six years were spent leading across all surgical specialties, within specialist roles in vascular surgery and then Ophthalmology and Head and Neck Services.

In 2017, Kathryn took up a Principal Pharmacist post for Governance, Medicines Information and Access to Medicines. In 2021, she became the Head of Pharmacy for Royal Glamorgan Hospital- a role which has challenged her, she has embraced and enjoyed. During this time, Kathryn had the opportunity to lead across a diverse portfolio of clinical specialties.

From January 2026, Kathryn’s role will be changing. She will be taking up the role of Head of Pharmacy for Quality and Safety, Medicines Management Lead for Children and Families and Diagnostics, Therapies, Pharmacy Services. She is looking forward to this new challenge and everything a new challenge brings.

Kathryn’s professional interests include:

• Anticoagulation
• Paediatric Medicine
• Women’s Health
• Governance & Safety
• Research & Development
• Public Health
• Patient Education and Empowerment

Kathryn is currently undertaking a Service Evaluation on Anticoagulation and Thrombosis Services within the Health Board.

Dr. Genevieve Thueux, Consultant Paediatrician, Clinical Director CHfW, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

Dr. Genevieve Thueux is a Paediatric Consultant at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, specialising in general paediatrics. She completed her CCT in 2019 and has worked at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales since then. Her current role includes responsibilities as Joint Clinical Director for Child Health, overseeing areas such as paediatric surgery, oncology, PICU, gastroenterology, cardiology, and quality and safety.

Genevieve has held leadership roles including Deputy and Assistant Clinical Director and serves as the Welsh representative on the RCPCH National Health Services Committee. Her work has involved service development and quality improvement projects, including the PRUDIC process for child death reviews and initiatives to improve collaboration between primary and secondary care.

She holds an MBChB from the University of Bristol, MRCPCH, and a Certificate in Medical Management and Leadership. She is also involved in teaching as an Honorary Lecturer at Cardiff University, an APLS instructor, and an Educational Supervisor.

Genevieve’s professional interests include:

• Paediatric preventative medicine (diet, lifestyle and mental health).
• Acute paediatrics and strategic management of service delivery in health.
•  Employee wellbeing, supporting individuals and facilitating a system that allows change and personal responsibility.

Genevieve is currently involved with the review of the structure and management/working of Cardiff and Vale UHB and is working with the Tricordant Management consultancy  to investigate this.

Dr. Sikha de Souza, Consultant in Public Health with Screening Division, Deputy Medical Director, Public Health Wales. 

Dr. Sikha de Souza works as a Consultant in Public Health with Screening Division of Public Health Wales. She leads on Quality for the division and provides public health leadership for the Maternal and Child National Screening programmes.

In her role as PHW Deputy Medical Director, her portfolio centres around Clinical Governance and Quality.

Sika’s professional interests include:

• Quality and Quality Management Systems
• Equity and Accessibility
• Organisational Culture
• Workforce planning and redesign
• Public Health Ethics

Sikha is currently in the early stages of work to explore the development of Public Health Ethics principles relevant to our context in Wales, to support strategic decision making.

Mr Jonathan Clarke, Clinical Lead for Quality, Safety and Improvement,  Assistant Medical Director for QI, ENT Consultant, NHS Performance & Improvement, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Mr Jonathan Clarke clinically leads on the delivery of national and organisational improvement programmes and works to influence strategic aims for clinical improvements.

Jonathan has worked in the NHS for over 25 years with 13 years of experience as a Consultant in ENT. He has been involved in Quality Improvement for over 9 years. He is trained as a Scottish Improvement Leader, Lean SixSigma Black belt, and trained in the Toyota Production System. He has a certificate in Health Economics and Policy and has completed the Spread and Scale Academy.

Jonathan is passionate about healthcare improvement and is always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the quality of care and services for patients and staff.

Jonathan is currently leading on the Cellular Pathology National Collaborative and the Theatre Safety programme in ABUHB. He is currently working on a National Theatre Safety Learning Event, due to take place in March that will aim to spread to Theatre departments across Wales the method used in ABUHB to reduce Never Events.

Dr. Giri Shankar, Director of Health Protection, Public Health Wales.

Dr. Giri Shankar, MD, DNB, MPH, FFPH, MBE, is the Director of Health Protection at Public Health Wales, UK. Public Health Wales is the national public health institute of Wales.

The Health Protection Division works in partnership with stakeholders to protect individuals and communities from harm caused by infectious and non-infectious hazards. It also provides effective response to emergencies through sound planning and preparedness with other Category 1 and Category 2 responders as defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, including first responders, local authorities, environmental and port health authorities, health boards and other agencies in Wales and with partners across the UK.

Dr. Shankar is responsible for the delivery of Health Protection services across Wales. He provides leadership to a team of 230+ staff within the Division.

Dr. Shankar has 27 years of experience in the field of communicable disease control and public health. He obtained his undergraduate medical degree (MBBS) from Bangalore University, India followed by MD in Community Medicine (with distinction – First Rank), Diplomate of the National Board (DNB) in Social & Preventive Medicine. He then moved to the United Kingdom and obtained further higher specialist training in Public Health by completing a Master’s programme at Birmingham University.

Dr. Shankar has been awarded the Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians.

Dr. Shankar is the Chair for the IANPHI Thematic Committee on Climate Change & Public Health.

Dr. Shankar’s special interests are in research and evaluation, where he has published a number of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Jayne Williams, Head of Speciality, Older Adult Psychology, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Jayne started her early psychology career in Cambridgeshire working with adults with learning disabilities. She returned to Wales after a period of travelling, and joined Aneurin Bevan Universirty Health Board.  For 12 years, Jayne worked within the Child Psychology services, in a range of roles, but primarily in integrated working with Children’s Social Services with children who were looked after or adopted.  With others, Jayne set up a therapeutic project for young people to get the support and therapeutic input they required.

Following that, for five years, Jayne worked for a Welsh Charity called Llamau, leading the creation and maintenance of a Psychologically Informed Environment across the organisation.  The charity supported young people at risk of homelessness and families who had experienced domestic violence. Jayne established and led an employee wellbeing service, counselling service and training department as part of this role.

Following two years setting up a new Welsh National service for people with Lymphoedema, hosted by Swansea Bay Universit Health Board, Jayne moved into her current post in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, leading the Older Adult Psychology and Therapies Service.

Jayne’s professional interests include helping systems work for and with people, rather than creating artificial barriers to care.  Jayne is an advocate of services which are clear and easy to access, timely and which reach the right person at the right time. Jayne believes in understanding people holistically, and works to reduce silos in workplaces.

Jayne is also very passionate about ensuring that she and her colleagues are supported in environments which are respectful, warm, compassionate and which enables their best work, encouraging innovation and development alongside strong governance.

Jayne loves a challenge, and is particularly interested in adaptations that can be made in systems and therapy input to meet the needs of people who find traditional systems hard to navigate, or who need extra support to have trust in others due to their experience.

Jayne is keen to promote seamless transitions across services, including primary and secondary care boundaries, so that people receive the right service as timely as possible, don’t wait on multiple lists and experience being passed from service to service.  Whilst fairly new to her current post, she is keen to ensure service Older Adult Psychology service delivery is as responsive and equitable as possible.