Desiree Cumberbatch Email & Phone Number

I feel privileged to have been able to embrace opportunities throughout my life and career so far which I have enjoyed and contributed in making me the person I am today. I trained as a Podiatrist and have worked in clinical practice with my main focus being health promotion before being promoted to take on a position as Chief Podiatrist in North Staffordshire area. My involvement in operational management led me to pay particular attention to standards and in developing protocols and procedures for the service. Having developed an awareness for the legalities surrounding acts and omissions in health care contributing to clinical negligence claims I decided to study law part time whilst continuing to work in the NHS. Graduating with a law degree in 1994 I then completed a legal practice course and sat my law finals. I completed these in 1995 before being offered two years experience to take articles with a clinical negligence law firm in Birmingham. Following this and in order to consolidate my learning in both healthcare and law I gained a masters degree qualification in medical ethics and law. My dissertation written was entitled "Should patients who are non compliant to treatment get discharged from NHS services?".Deciding that Health and leadership was where I wanted to be, I qualified as a National Facilitator and coach in clinical leadership programmes and delivered these across the country on a part time basis whilst still working in health in North Staffordshire. Following this I was promoted to Allied Health Professions Manager where I was given the opportunity to manage several teams of therapy staff from different professions in the Trust. This experience I have found challenging both in terms of the sheer amount of learning involved and the sheer amount of work needed. I have found that my background skills and knowledge have helped me to manage at this level successfully.