We are delighted that Professor Alison Machin has officially begun her term as the next Chair of the Council of Deans of Health.
Alison is Professor of Nursing and Interprofessional Education and Dean of the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University. She was formerly Deputy Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University.
She was elected in 2019 to the Council of Deans of Health Executive as the UK-wide Workforce portfolio lead and, in 2022, to the role of Convenor of the Council of Deans of Health Scotland. She has also been a CoDH trustee throughout its transition to independent charity status.
Professor Machin said, “I am delighted to have been appointed the next Chair of the Council of Deans of Health. Having supported its move to become a fully independent charity as a member of the board, I am excited about the next stage of the Council’s development at such a crucial time for the sector. All of us are grateful for the leadership of Professor Brian Webster-Henderson, and I will continue to ensure a cross-profession and cross-nation approach is at the heart of the Council’s approach.”
The Council’s outgoing Chair, Professor Brian Webster-Henderson, said, “Professor Alison Machin brings a wealth of experience and drive as the incoming Chair, she is a great appointment for the Council of Deans of Health. Being Chair has been an honour and career highlight.”
Professor Machin has held a range of other charity trustee board positions, including with the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, in two HEIs and with an AgeUK charity as Vice Chair. Alison is a Registered Nurse, a Health Visitor and is also an ILM qualified Executive Coach. As a Professor, she supervises and examines PhD students, and her research interests include interprofessional education, nursing and healthcare collaborative workforce development and professional identity.