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Meet our executive director of operations for medicine and emergency care and community services, Hannah Powell

We sat down with Hannah to find out a bit more about her career, which she chose to work at Northumbria Healthcare, what drives her as a leader and how she switches off.

Can you give a brief summary of your career to date

I started working at a young age in a local pub in the North West, happily juggling commis-chefing, waitressing and glass-collecting while pretending I still had time for studying! From there, my CV became a bit of a lucky dip - emergency call handler, braille support worker, shop assistant and cleaner. If it fitted around my studies, I probably did it. I even spent time running around St James’ Park supporting match-day catering, with absolutely no idea what was happening on the pitch!

With my psychology degree in hand, I worked with young people at risk of homelessness, on a pathway for clinical training, until the NHS graduate scheme tempted me into postponing that plan (indefinitely, as it turns out).

Since then, I’ve worked in a number of acute hospitals in the North East – covering medicine, surgery and diagnostics and I have also done corporate and organisational development roles. Most of my career has been in Newcastle, in the hospital trust and later in the university, leading a partnership across the NHS, local government and universities to turn clever people’s ideas into real-world impact.

Why do you like working in the NHS?

I genuinely believe in the ethos of the NHS. Coming from a public-sector family, it’s always felt important to contribute to something with real purpose.

I’m fascinated by health, people and systems, and I’m driven by an enthusiasm that refuses to switch off when it comes to improving how care is delivered.

What attracted you to your role in Northumbria Healthcare?

Northumbria is my local hospital trust. Three generations of my family are using or have used its services. So taking on this role feels a I am certainly investing in my own community.

And yes, I’ll admit, the performance and reputation helped! In the 15 years I’ve lived in North Tyneside, I’ve met countless Northumbria employees and not one has ever said a negative word about working here. People talk about feeling valued. That’s exactly the kind of culture I want to help grow.

I also hope I can add value by using my external experience of bringing people together across systems and partnerships, supporting staff and helping create the conditions for more joined-up, patient-centred care over the long term, in line with where the NHS is heading.

What do you think are the key opportunities and challenges for your business units over the next couple of years?

I am the executive lead for two business units: medicine and emergency care, and community services. Across both, there’s huge opportunity to rethink pathways so more people can be supported safely at home. None of us want our loved ones in hospital longer than necessary, and with the right systems and support, we can make home-based care a much more realistic and sustainable option.

The challenge, of course, is doing that while maintaining high-quality, responsive services in a very pressured environment - but that’s where creativity and teamwork come in.

What do think is important in terms of being a strong leader? What does success look like for you as a leader?

For me, strong leadership is about being authentic, empathetic and empowering others to shine. My career so far means I place a lot of value on data and taking a whole-system view, but at the heart of it all is people.

If I’m creating the right conditions - both culturally and physically - for others to do their best work, that’s success. If they feel supported, trusted, and able to make a difference, then I’m doing my job.

How do you relax and switch off from work?

I run (jog) regularly. You can often find me at local races and my children were very excited to spot me (briefly!) on the BBC’s Great North Run coverage. That is my official claim to fame.

I also love a parkrun, and I’m hoping to tick off more parkrun tourism next year, much to the mild confusion of anyone who doesn’t organise their holidays around a Saturday 9am start!

Family life

We have two young children, and one of my favourite things is sharing the things I love with them: travel, the natural world and pretty much any outdoor pursuit you can do while falling over gracefully. I love paddleboarding and climbing - though I’m a total amateur at both - and I’m a big reader of books of all kinds.

We live on the coast, dog-less for now - but I do have a name ready for the one I plan to get, which I’m sure tells you everything you need to know!