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Northern Ireland Board



Our Northern Ireland Board advises and supports Northern Ireland's regional director in setting and delivering priorities in Northern Ireland, in line with our overall aims and objectives.

Board members are elected by members in Northern Ireland, and they represent all our members in the country.

How to contact us

To contact a board member, or for more information on meetings and minutes from previous meetings, please email ni.generalenquiries@rcn.org.uk.

Meetings

Our Northern Ireland Board meets four times each year.

2025 meeting dates:

  • 17 February 2025
  • 19 May 2025
  • 15 September 2025
  • 8 December 2025

How to attend a board meeting as an observer

As a member you are welcome to request to attend and observe an open session of the board's meetings.

If you would like to attend a future open session, please contact ni.generalenquiries@rcn.org.uk.

Board minutes

Please log in to download and read the minutes from previous open meetings.

Our board members

Breige Quinn resized

Briege Quinn: Board Chair

Briege commenced her mental health nurse training in 1980, subsequently specialising in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction. She spent four years as a lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at Ulster University, working with nurses and allied health professionals from all areas of practice to enhance their skills in recovery and co-production, as well as motivational interviewing and behaviour change skills to promote mental and physical health well-being.

Briege retired in 2021 from her post as Assistant Director for Mental Health and Learning Disability in the Public Health Agency but she continues to work as a part-time consultant in perinatal mental health. She is passionate about influencing the quality, safety and service user experience in all areas of public health nursing, building a resilient workforce, and promoting mental health and learning disability nursing wherever possible.

Briege became a member of the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board in January 2017 and has just entered her third year as Board Chair. 
Denise-Kelly-TALL

Denise Kelly: Vice Chair, 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board; Chair, 快猫视频 Trade Union Committee

Denise became a member of the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board in January 2020, following her election to represent Northern Ireland as a member of the 快猫视频 UK Trade Union Committee. In 2022, she was elected as Chair of the Trade Union Committee. Denise had been serving as Vice Chair since January 2021. 

Denise has 30 years鈥 experience in the Health and Social Care service, initially as an auxiliary nurse in 1992. Denise is currently a full time senior clinical nurse co-ordinator on the Hospital At Night team. Due to her extensive experience, Denise understands the challenges facing 快猫视频 members and is proud to be a dedicated 快猫视频 member, Steward, Health and Safety Rep, and activist. Her primary focus is on the 快猫视频鈥檚 pay campaign and safe staffing, especially following the successful industrial action undertaken by 快猫视频 members in Northern Ireland. She is passionate about the trade union work of the 快猫视频, whilst also recognising the importance of the professional nursing work. Denise received the 快猫视频 Award of Merit in 2020 for exceptional service to members.  

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Donna Gallagher: 快猫视频 UK Professional Nursing Committee representative

Donna has been a member of the 快猫视频 for over 20 years. She joined the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board in January 2024 as the 快猫视频 UK Professional Nursing Committee representative.

Having commenced nurse training in 1989, Donna specialised in mental health nursing, with a keen interest in the physical and mental health of older people. She moved in to further education and then higher education as a lecturer and senior lecturer at The Open University. Donna was influential in the development of The Open University鈥檚 nursing programme, working across HSC trusts and the independent sector. She also worked closely with the NMC as a programme reviewer.

As an 快猫视频 Board member, Donna hopes to influence a wide range of issues on behalf of members and use her networks to support the work of the 快猫视频 in Northern Ireland. She continues her passion for mental health and recovery, and continues to practise as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist, keen to support others on their life journey.

ANNE CAMPBELL

Anne Campbell: Council member

Anne has been an active member of the 快猫视频 since she became a registered nurse. She has acted as a steward and a safety representative, as well as holding the positions of Secretary and Chair of the 快猫视频 Belfast Branch. She understands the challenges of 快猫视频 members at present, with the crisis of unsafe staffing and the recruitment and retention issues within nursing. 

She is a learning disability nurse and has worked in practice and management posts in the field of learning disability. She is passionate about ensuring that people with a learning disability have safe, effective and compassionate nursing care and support in community and general hospital environments. 

This is her second term as an 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board member. As a Board member, she will continue to support all Board activities and her active role in the 快猫视频 Belfast Branch will enable her to bring members鈥 concerns to the Board. 

Andrew Hamill

Andrew qualified from the University of Ulster in Coleraine in 2009. He began his career as a band 5 theatre nurse in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, advancing to the position of band 6 clinical charge nurse in pre-operative anaesthetic assessment. For the last three years, he has been working as site manager and clinical co-ordinator, based at Craigavon Area Hospital.

 

Andrew was an active 快猫视频 student member throughout his training, sitting on the regional student committee. He is currently an accredited 快猫视频 Safety Representative and a member of the 快猫视频 Southern Branch committee.

 

As an 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board member, Andrew is dedicated to ensuring that the voice of the nursing family is heard at all levels. He is keen to promote nursing as a profession and encourage students to become active members. Andrew said: 鈥淎s an active family of nurses, we can work together to create a safe environment for our patients and each other鈥.

Maureen Dolan

Maureen Dolan

Maureen鈥檚 nursing career embraces 33 years within the HSC, qualifying as a registered nurse in 2005 and subsequently working mainly within a surgical directorate. She became a full 快猫视频 member in 2004. 

 

Maureen has an evolving history within the 快猫视频 since becoming an accredited steward within her local HSC trust and Secretary of the 快猫视频 Southern Branch. She has previously served as an 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board member and Vice Chair, representing members regionally. Maureen also has experience at a UK level, as a committee member for the 快猫视频 Perioperative Forum and as a member of the 快猫视频 Agenda Committee, which is responsible for the governance of 快猫视频 Congress.

Maureen is passionate about the 快猫视频 membership, striving to ensure fairness and equality for all health care staff within the HSC and the independent sector. She is determined to ensure that members鈥 voices are heard on the diverse range of issues affecting frontline staff.

Edna Grant

Edna has been a member of the 快猫视频 since starting her nursing career in 1987. She has served as a member of the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board since 2020 and also as an 快猫视频 Southern Branch committee member

As part of her role within the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board, Edna is very keen to highlight staff retention and safe staffing as urgent matters which need to be the focus for the organisation.

Edna has worked as a community nurse since 1996 and is passionate about ensuring that the voice of nursing from both the primary and secondary care sectors is being heard. She said: “There are a lot of changes happening at the minute and we all need to support each other through these difficult times”.

Simon Higgs

Simon Higgs

Simon has been a member of the 快猫视频 since 2007 and represented Northern Ireland on the 快猫视频 UK Pain and Palliative Care Forum, which he also chaired for two years. An active member of the South Eastern Branch, Simon has served as Branch Chair and is currently a committee member. He is also an accredited 快猫视频 steward. Simon works within the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust as the Pain Services Manager and Lead Nurse for Pain Services. Previously, he worked in the acute pain service within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Simon is passionate about ensuring the voice of nursing is heard and that the profession is recognised as the highly skilled, knowledgeable and powerful linchpin of the health service. Nursing needs to be recognised, remunerated fairly and represented at decision-making tables to ensure that safe and effective care is kept at the top of the agenda. Simon aims to ensure that the voice of 快猫视频 members is heard and that the 快猫视频 continues to work with members and for members through an ever-changing environment and upholding the principles of fairness, equality and diversity.

Connie Mitchell resized

Connie Mitchell

Connie has been an 快猫视频 member since 1983, when she commenced her nurse training. She has been the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Independent Sector Nurse Managers Network lead for almost 10 years and recently became the 快猫视频 Southern Branch Secretary. Connie has worked in acute services and predominately in the independent sector. She has been a care home manager for over 13 years.

As part of her role with the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board, Connie is very keen to highlight the independent sector, ensuring safe and effective care through safe staffing levels and staff retention. She is also determined to promote and extend 快猫视频 membership within both the independent sector and the HSC, ensuring members鈥 voices are heard on the many issues that face them.

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Karen Craig

Karen qualified as a registered nurse in 1998 from Middlesex University. She worked in a variety of acute medical wards in England and Northern Ireland, before moving to Canada for three years where she found her passion for emergency care. Karen returned to Northern Ireland and began working in the emergency department at the Mater Hospital, where she practised for 12 years at band 5 and 6 levels. She then worked as an emergency department clinical nurse educator in both the Northern and South Eastern trusts. Karen has recently moved to a new role as Lead Nurse for Nursing Development, Safety and Governance with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Karen has been a member of the 快猫视频 for the past 11 years. She is active within the Emergency Care Network and has been a Board member since December 2023. Karen said: 鈥淚 hope to continue to promote and develop the nursing profession within Northern Ireland and I am passionate about ensuring the delivery of safe and effective care. Nurses within Northern Ireland face many challenges every day and I want to ensure that the nursing voice is clearly heard.鈥

Kate Courtney rez=]

Kate Ward Courtney

Kate started training as a mental health nurse in the Western Health and Social Care Trust area over 30 years ago. Since then, she has worked in both Northern Ireland and England and also spent 10 years working in the third sector. Her roles included managing residential and supported living services within learning disability, mental health and autism. Kate is currently working as a specialist nurse within deaf mental health services and is very keen to develop this service further. She was elected to the 快猫视频 Northern Ireland Board in April 2024, and is passionate about the role of the nurse and protecting the nursing workforce. Kate said: 鈥淒uring Covid and since, we have faced the most severe challenges in relation to nursing pay, staffing levels and patient safety. I want nursing to continue to be the respected, protected and valued profession it always has been.鈥
Lidia Teague resized

Lidia Teague

Lidia qualified from Queen’s University in 2007.  For the last 18 years, she has worked within the acute medical directorate in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust [SHSCT]. In June 2023, she completed training as an accredited 快猫视频 Steward and currently hold an employee-funded role as an 快猫视频 Steward within the SHSCT. Lidia is also an 快猫视频 Southern Branch committee member.

Working within the acute sector, she has first-hand experience of the numerous challenges 快猫视频 members face. As an 快猫视频 Board member, Lidia is devoted to making meaningful change for all health care staff within the HSC and the independent sector. Her aims are to ensure that the voice of the nursing family is heard, to be an advocate for better working conditions, and to help improve mental health and well-being. Lidia is also committed to enhancing professional development opportunities, along with promoting a stronger sense of community within the nursing profession.

Ann Butler

Ann Butler

More details to follow.

Elections and appointments

You can get more involved in the 快猫视频 by putting yourself forward as a candidate for 快猫视频 Council or a committee, board or forum. As a member, it's important to make your voice heard by voting in 快猫视频 elections.聽聽

Find out more about current elections and appointments, how to become a candidate and how to vote.
Lead Inspire Govern

How we're governed

Here at the 快猫视频, we take good governance seriously. This means working tirelessly to improve our culture and making sure our members are represented across all of our governance processes. Find out more about this work and how you can get involved.
快猫视频 leader Nicola Ranger at 快猫视频 headquarters in London