New appointment to QNIS staff

QNIS has appointed a new Head of External Affairs

We are delighted to welcome Helen Reilly as Head of External Affairs, a new role created to develop the strategic direction of the charity. Helen will be supporting QNIS to share the outstanding work of Scotland’s community nurses and midwives with both policymakers and the public.  

Helen joins the team from her previous post as Public Affairs Manager at The Association of The British Pharmaceutical Industry. She has a broad knowledge of the health and social care policy landscape of Scotland having previously worked for the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 

As part of the QNIS Senior Team, Helen will take the lead on shaping responses to policy and professional issues which are relevant to community nursing and the ongoing evolution of the charity. Developing an effective network of policy and communications contacts will be a key part of her role, building relationships with Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and health and care organisations. 

Clare Cable, QNIS Chief Executive and Nurse Director, says:  

At a time of such uncertainty and turbulence, we are committed to dialling up the voice of community nursing in our national conversation about the future of just and sustainable health and care for all. I am looking forward to working with Helen to find new and creative ways to make a difference.

With a proven history in media relations and an energetic, creative approach, Helen’s input in growing the QNIS brand and outputs of the charity will be invaluable. Managing the digital and communications function, she will support the existing team enabling QNIS to better support the nurses and midwives in Scotland’s communities. 

Helen said of her appointment:  

I’m delighted to have joined the QNIS team. It’s a real privilege to be working with such an excellent charity that addresses health inequalities and has social justice at its heart. I am looking forward to advocating on behalf of Scotland’s community nurses and midwives and shining a light on their remarkable scope and the vital impact they have on health and care in Scotland.

Helen took up her position at QNIS on the 20th of March 2023.