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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Michelle Mackie's Biography
Leadership Spotlight: Michelle Mackie Deputy Director of Nursing and Midwifery and Lead Midwife NHS Orkney
Career Experience
Michelle brings over 45 years of experience within NHS Scotland and is dual trained as both a nurse and midwife. Her career has been largely focused on midwifery, where she has worked across a range of clinical and leadership roles, supporting safe, high-quality care for women and families.
Director of Nursing and Midwifery
Since taking up this role four years ago, she has strengthened her focus on wider nursing leadership, working across both nursing and midwifery services.
Her role is centred on improving integration, supporting workforce development, and maintaining clinical excellence within a remote and island context.
Michelle plays a key role in shaping improvements to the experience of staff.
Impact
Michelle is passionate about creating supportive working environments that enable staff to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. She recognises the importance of compassionate leadership, sustainable workloads, and positive workplace cultures in supporting both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.
Her leadership approach is grounded in collaboration and a strong commitment to improving working lives, ensuring teams feel supported and able to thrive.
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
A Message from the Subgroup Co-Chairs
As Co-Chairs of the Working Environment and Work‑Life Balance Subgroup, we are proud to contribute to the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce, supporting compassionate working environments that value wellbeing and work‑life balance. Together, we want nurses and midwives to feel valued, proud of the care they provide, and supported to thrive both personally and professionally.
Explore the Taskforce Website
