NHS IMAS is made up of Partners and pool members from the NHS. They are supported by:
- a small core team who manage the programme and assignments
- a hand-picked selection of independent consultants who NHS organisations rate
NHS IMAS Core Team
Karen Robinson
Karen joined the team in September 2019 as the Head of NHS IMAS. Karen has worked for the NHS since 2014, working at a National level with Senior Executives and National Directors in NHS England and as Change and Impact Senior Programme Manager and Operating Model Lead on the Joint Working Programme for NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Prior to joining the NHS, Karen worked in local government in a variety of advisory and management roles, including change and delivery programmes, business management, human resources and event management.
Daniel Wood
Daniel is a Senior Manager and has been with the team since 2015. Before joining NHS IMAS, Daniel worked for NHS IQ as the Business Management Team Lead where he co-ordinated key business activities, including business planning, reporting and financial management. Prior to moving into National roles, Daniel worked for a Mental Health Trust providing performance management and assurance across the organisation.
Alison Davies
Alison is one of our Resourcing Leads who originally joined the team in March 2020 to support the NHS IMAS Covid-19 Flexible Resourcing project. Alison has worked for the NHS since 2019 as a Project Manager within the NHS Leadership Academy. Before starting her career within the NHS she has worked in higher education and local government in a variety of improvement roles including programme and project management, strategy and business planning, service development, customer service and event management. Alison is also our NHS IMAS ISO lead!
Andrew Aitken
Andrew joined the team in October 2020 as a Resourcing Lead. Andrew has worked for the NHS since 2015, initially within the National Incident and Special Projects team, and with the Policy Development and Implementation team at NHS England. Prior to joining the NHS, Andrew worked within in the UK Visas and Immigration department at the Home Office.
Jan Pearce
Jan returned to the team permanently in November 2020 as a Resourcing Lead having completed a secondment in 2018 and supporting the NHS IMAS Covid-19 Flexible Resourcing project. Jan has worked for NHS England since 2013 in governance and project and programme management roles. Jan is a qualified coach and mentor. Before joining NHS England, Jan worked in a wide range of educational settings including higher and further education and as an education officer in a local education authority.
Ellie Sproston
Ellie joined the team in October 2024 as a Resourcing Lead, having previously worked within the NHS South West Leadership and Talent team and South West Leadership Academy. Ellie’s professional background is within learning and development, leadership and talent management, and prior to joining the NHS has worked within the private sector. Ellie is also an ILM Level 5 qualified coach and mentor and is our lead for NHS IMAS communications.
Rachel Haigh
Rachel joined the team in 2017 and has an eye for detail when producing Management Information and analysing data from reports in order to inform future working. Rachel co-ordinates NHS IMAS' key business activities and brings experience in business planning, reporting and financial management.
Amrana Yasmin
Amrana joined NHS IMAS in January 2024 as the Business Operations Officer. Amrana has worked for the NHS since 2015, working in Private Office and has extensive experience in providing business administration and project support. Amrana has also worked within the Overseas Visitor Cost Recovery team, Commercial Income team, People Delivery team and Resources Operations team.
Partners
Our Partners are experienced NHS Chief Executives and Directors with a proven track record of delivery. They, where appropriate, will dedicate time to lead the assignment and will take responsibility for managing and coaching the assignment team.
They have access to the skilled members of our pools, to powerful problem-solving tools, and also receive personal coaching and learning opportunities.
The Partners also benefit from the NHS IMAS programme by having the opportunity to use their skills to support the wider NHS. They also, where appropriate, monitor the progress of pool members who are on assignment and act as mentors to help develop talent for the future.
Pool Members
Our pools consist of a variety of highly skilled professionals from across the NHS and wider professional backgrounds. NHS IMAS pool members assist NHS organisations in a variety of ways including operational, financial or strategic support.
Members of our NHS pool are highly competent individuals and functional experts who add value through specific skill sets or professional expertise. These experts include nurses, doctors, analysts, financial and operational specialists.
The pool members benefit from being able to access real work opportunities to develop their skills and exposure to broader experiences and networks. They also get training and development when on assignments by receiving personal support and coaching from our Partners, where appropriate.
Our second pool consists of independent candidates who have left the NHS but have retained a wealth of experience.