Meet the Matrons

We actively encourage patients, carers, and families to engage with your matron as a point of contact for when you want to talk about things that have gone well, and about any issues you may have spotted during your stay that could be improved.

We would encourage you in the first instance to discuss this on the ward when visiting or phoning, and ask to speak with the ward manager or matron – this helps to identify things early. However, if you rather have a dedicated time to talk to the matron, or you have reflected on your stay after leaving the hospital, we can help you do just that.

How #MeetTheMatron could be of help to you

If you feel that talking to a matron face to face (online at present) is for you, rather than communicating over email or the phone, please fill out the information form below which will help us put you in contact with the correct matron. Please detail as much of what you would like to discuss as you can. Things you might want to talk to your matron about:

“I want to give praise or positive feedback for a recent stay” - this could be about an individual, a team, or a general comment about the service you received. We want to hear about this as much as possible. We also have our ‘Say Thank You’ scheme where our staff will receive a thank you card.
“I noticed something that would be worth feeding back to the teams on the ward” – this could be when you see something that would have improved a part of your experience or helped you understand what was happening during your stay
“I am not happy with something, I need to speak to somebody” – this could relate to a specific experience or something that is directly affecting your care in the hospital. Please tell us.

Things that our matron won’t be in a position to talk to you about, but you can raise with our PALS team, are:

“I have a question about my appointment booking/I want to make changes to my appointment/I did not attend (DNA) my appointment”
“I want to ask about updates to the waiting list I am on” – this could relate to the need to confirm that you are on a waiting list or understand how long it will take for you to receive treatment. Please refer to the contact details given in your correspondence from the hospital to identify the correct point of contact.
“I have questions about my referral to treatment time” – this could relate to a referral performed by your GP or a specialist to another specialist service for treatment. Please contact the team who referred you in this instance.
“I have questions about some community services” - some services that operate in the hospital do not belong to UHP such as those associated with Primary Care and Mental Health Services. Please ensure that you contact your GP or our community partners for these.
General updates from the medical team – this can be arranged through your consultant’s secretary or, if you are currently admitted to hospital, through the nurse in charge in the Ward you are admitted to.

Why this is important

Our matrons want to continue to be at the forefront of improving the quality and experience of patients and families – learning from what works well and be able to intervene earlier when things aren’t going well to be able to resolve early concerns. Through your feedback (positive feedback is so important for the way our teams work and learn, we are not often good at asking for this!), our matrons are at the forefront of quality for ward-based communication. Thank you.

Meet the Matrons


Surgery Matrons
Sue Clemow Area: Colorectal Surgery, Hepatobiliary, Oesophageal-Gastric Ward / Department: Stonehouse and Wolf wards, Surgical Assessment Unit (Hound ward)	Sue Timmins Area: Trauma, Orthopaedics and Rheumatology Ward / Department: Bantham, Sharp and Shaugh wards, Orthopaedic Outpatients , Fracture Clinic, Rheumatology	Sue Johnson Area: Anaesthetics and Acute Pain, Outpatients (Day patients) Ward / Department: Main Outpatients, Postbridge, Recovery
Sarah Pickbourne Area: Major Trauma Neurosurgery Ward / Department: Erme and Moorgate wards	Peter Branfield Area: Critical Care Ward / Department: Pencarrow and Penrose wards, Acute Care Team	Cath Allen Area: Cardiothoracic and Vascular Ward / Department: Cardiac theatres, Torrington, Clearbrook and Crownhill wards
Tracey Whittingham Area: Chronic Pain Services, Dermatology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Audiology, Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental, Plastic Surgery and Urology Ward / Department: Pain Services, Dermatology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Audiology, Maxillofacial, Dental Specialities, Plastic trauma clinic, Chestnut Unit, Lynher ward
Theatre Matrons
Jenni Pitt Area: Ophthalmology Ward / Department: REI	Katy Griffiths Area: Theatres, Anaesthetics and Acute Pain Ward / Department: Freedom theatres, Bigbury Orthopaedic Surgical Suite, Childrens theatres	Sue Pendelton Area: Theatres Ward / Department: Cardiac Cath Labs Neurosurgery, General Surgery, Vascular and Emergency Theatres
Medicine Matrons
Michelle Gallie Area: Neurology / Neurophysiology (Stroke) Department / Ward: Wembury and Merrivale wards	Juliet Richardson Area: Healthcare of the Elderly Department / Ward: Marlborough, Meldon and Monkswell wards	Mike Lynn Area: Respiratory Department / Ward: Hexworthy, Honeyford, and Hartor wards, Chest Clinic
Sharon Raymond Area: Oncology, Haematology and Immunology Department / Ward: Bracken, Brent and Fal wards, Birch Day Case, Eden Unit	Kate Gardner Area: Virtual ward, Diabetes / Endocrine Department / Ward: Lyd ward, Virtual ward and Diabetes Centre	Sophia Simmons Area: Cardiology and Planned Investigation Unit Department / Ward: Braunton, Bickleigh and Torcross wards, Planned Investigation Unit (PIU)
Theresia Makatile Area: Hepatology and Nephrology Department / Ward: Hepatology outpatients, Mayflower ward, Plymouth Dialysis Unit	Donna Rutherford Area: Endocopy and Gastroenterology Department / Ward: Norfolk ward and Endoscopy	Kristi Van Rosenveld Area: General Internal Medicine (GIM) Department / Ward: Burrator, Stannon and Shipley wards
Teresa Northmore-Beer Area: Community Services (Mount Gould) Department / Ward: Skylark and Kingfisher wards	Diana Green Area: Community Services (South Hams Community Hospital) Department / Ward: South Hams Community ward	Fleur Varney Area: Community Services (Tavistock) Department / Ward: Tavistock ward
Nigel Booth Area: Emergency Department and Minor Injury Units (MIUs) Department / Ward: Emergency Department Minors, Cumberland UTC, Tavistock and Kingsbridge MIUs	Charlie Pemberton Area: Acute Medicine Department / Ward: Medical Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), Thrushel (Medical Assessment Unit), Tavy (Medical Assessment Unit), Tamar (Medical Receiving Unit)
Women's and Children's Matrons
Clara Southby Maternity - Community and Outpatient Women's Day Services and Community Midwifery	Charlotte Evans Maternity - Inpatient Services Central Delivery Suite (CDS) and Argyll Ward	Emma Collins Gynaecology, Sexual Health and Breast Gynaecology outpatients, the Ocean Suite, Primrose Breast Care Centre and Sexual Health in Plymouth (SHiP)
Sarah Underwood Neonatal Unit, Transitional Care and Neonatal Outreach Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Transitional Care Ward (TCW)	Louise Cork Acute Paediatrics Woodcock and Wildgoose wards, Children's Assessment Unit, Children's High Dependency Unit