Sue Thomas

Sue is a former nurse consultant and service commissioner with over 40 years’ experience at the interface between the NHS, voluntary sector and life sciences principally in neurology, respiratory and long -term conditions. 

After working for 18 years as national policy and practice adviser at the Royal College of Nursing in London, Sue moved to the voluntary sector to establish unique commissioning support services to bring the patient voice central to commissioning services. This work was funded by the Department of Health for England.

Specific areas of national focus currently are roles within respiratory and neurology. Over the last two years she has researched and authored reports for academic institutions and charities: Kings College, London for COPD and Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis for Interstitial Lung Disease. Sue is also a member of the NHS England Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinical Reference Groups for service transformation and a Board Member of Somerset Healthwatch.  Much of her work concentrates on supporting a clearer assessment of  the scale of the unwarranted service variation from both NHS and service user perspective which has led to co-production of care pathways and more effective engagement with NHSE, NHS organisations and their staff.  A Florence Nightingale Scholar and Winston Churchill Fellow Sue has published widely and regularly speaks both nationally and internationally.