Helen Oakes, Registered Nurse

Professional Experience

I qualified as a nurse in 2002 and have extensive experience across all areas of medical nursing, with a particular focus on the care of older adults over the past decade. I have held senior roles within a large district general hospital in Berkshire, including leading the hospital's falls prevention strategy, contributing to the adult safeguarding team, and managing the specialist discharge team. These roles have provided me with in-depth knowledge of complex discharge planning, risk management, and safeguarding in an acute care setting.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I played a key role in implementing and monitoring compliance with Government discharge guidance and worked to embed effective discharge practices into routine hospital processes. I have also worked closely with external stakeholders to ensure discharge pathways remained clinically safe and operationally efficient.

In January 2021, I became Deputy Head of Nursing for Medicine at a district general hospital in Bedfordshire. I was promoted to Head of Nursing for Medicine in September 2022. In this role, I provide senior clinical leadership and ward management, and led on incident investigation and service improvement. I am also responsible for the elderly care service line within the Trust.

Professional Development

Throughout my career, I have developed specialist expertise in areas including falls prevention, safeguarding, complex discharge planning, and care of older adults. My senior leadership roles have further enhanced my capabilities in patient safety, quality assurance, and governance within acute NHS settings. I regularly lead clinical reviews, support the development of nursing teams, and oversee the implementation of clinical improvement initiatives aligned with national standards. I maintain my clinical professional development by attending relevant training.

I have also been involved in the development and review of hospital-wide policies and procedures, particularly those relating to discharge planning, safeguarding protocols, and care of vulnerable adults. These responsibilities require a sound understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks and the ability to apply them consistently across services.