Working Environment and Work-Life Balance Subgroup Co-Chairs
Shaping conditions where nurses and midwives can thrive.
The Attraction Subgroup is co-chaired by Watty Gaffney and Lesley Sharkey. Overseeing delivery of the Attraction Recommended Actions, their role is to offer direction and enable implementation of transformative, sustainable outcomes.
Find out more about the Working Environment and Work-Life Balance Subgroup Co-Chairs:
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Lesley Sharkey's Biography
Leadership Spotlight: Lesley, Nurse Director NHS Tayside
Career Experience
Lesley began her midwifery career in 1996 and has since worked across a wide range of women’s health and early years settings in both Scotland and England. Her experience spans inpatient and community services, where she has held clinical, managerial, leadership, and strategic roles in nursing and midwifery. She has a strong interest in governance, patient safety, and continuous learning to improve care.
Director of Midwifery
Lesley has served as a Director of Midwifery and is now Nurse Director for Acute Services. As a Scottish Quality and Safety Fellow, she gained experience in quality improvement and leadership, which she continues to embed in her work. Lesley is a SPSO advisor.
Her recent contributions include serving on the expert review panel for the Northern Ireland national review of maternity services, focusing on governance for the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority. She has also acted as an external panel member for several Scottish Boards to support maternity service improvements. Recently, she has been involved in developing key national frameworks focusing on preceptorship and also NMC guidance to support women’s choices. Lesley is also involved in a large-scale review of maternity services in NHS England.
Impact
Throughout her career, Lesley developed a passion for individualised, relational care, recognising its profound impact on people using services and the staff providing them. She chaired a subgroup of the national ministerial taskforce working with the Scottish Government to produce recommendations for nursing and midwifery, particularly around wellbeing for staff.
Lesley’s core values centre on hearing and respecting those who use services, promoting shared decision-making, and ensuring safety above all.
Watty Gaffney's Biography
Leadership Spotlight: Watty, Branch Secretary of Unite, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Unite
Watty Gaffney is Branch Secretary for Unite within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC). With 38 years extensive nursing experience in frontline healthcare, Watty is committed to advocating for both patients and staff across the NHS.
In his role with Unite, Watty works to represent healthcare workers, support fair working conditions, and promote a strong voice for staff within the health service.
Watty's Leadership
Watty’s work combines clinical insight with trade union leadership, helping to ensure that the concerns of NHS workers are heard and addressed
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