Linda Agnew

Name Linda Agnew
Position Director of Corporate Development
Qualifications 1982 Diploma in Occupational Therapy (Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh)
1995 BHSc (Hons) Degree in Health Studies (Ripon & York St John, Leeds University)
1999 Masters Degree in Management & Leadership in Health & Social Care (Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds University)
Health Professions Council registered Occupational Therapist. OT 11419
Key Skills and Achievements Key skills include change management, review and modernisation of services, focusing on patient needs and the delivery of modern, evidence based care. This has included the modernisation of mental health and learning disability Occupational Therapy services in Jersey, Channel Islands and the development of mental health rehabilitation Occupational Therapy services in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.Coming to Wigan in 1994, the Occupational Therapy service developed from approximately 50 staff to 120 within 5 years, along with considerable people and organisational development. A key achievement was the successful implementation of a locally managed and delivered wheelchair service, separated out from a centrally managed service based in South Manchester.Throughout her career, Linda has been interested in education and learning, undertaking adult education courses with the Open University and becoming an approved lecturer for Liverpool University. This has also involved significant experience of designing and delivering education programmes for services.

As an Operations Manager, she assisted with the successful integration of two organisations into one, working with Wrightington Hospital with Wigan and Leigh Trust.

More recently, using skills of organisation review and development, she led the change from traditionally managed clinical structures to the implementation of a Care Group structure for community clinical services. This continues with the ongoing development of services towards service line management and further development of the service, people and business strategies.

With a strong interest in clinical governance and the effective delivery of care, since 2002 Linda has worked with the Commission for Health Improvement/ Healthcare Commission as an advisor, reviewer and associate, on the review of services, organisations and complaints. This role will end in 2009 with the development of the Care Quality Commission, however it is hoped that a similar role can continue to be fulfilled.
Experience Linda has worked with the Clinical Services Division of the PCT since 2002. Initially as Operations Manager, subsequently as Head of Clinical Services and from February ’07, as Director of Operations & Development.She qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1982 and has worked in acute, mental health and community healthcare. Linda moved into management of Occupational Therapy services in 1994 and into general management in 1999.As Director of Operations & Development, Linda is responsible for all the employed clinical services delivered by Ashton, Leigh & Wigan Community Healthcare. Her portfolio also includes Human Resources; Learning and Development; Clinical Governance; and Business Development.