Based in the South of England, Heather has worked in the manufacturing industry since the age of 16 across a variety of roles, starting as a line operative and working up to Procurement Team Leader. During this time Heather was part of a team that implemented a Kanban (Just in Time) system and used technology such as 5S and 7 Waste, Pull systems and cellular manufacturing.
Heather moved into the NHS in October 2005 to work for South of England Procurement Services (formally Solent Supplies) where she was first introduced to EDC – Electronic Demand Capture. It was here that Heather first saw what could be achieved with this type of service in an acute environment and so supported on implementing this from within the Trust. In 2014, Heather moved to Southern Health and saw there was an ideal opportunity to successfully introduce EDC to the Trust’s community hospitals and community teams.
Heather lives on the edge of the New Forest and enjoys walking, a varied social life (at least before COVID-19!) and time with her extended family, including 14 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren!