Sharon Fernandez

Sharon has worked at the Hurley since April 2016 as the Associate Director of Unscheduled Care (Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC’s) and GP Out of Hours). As a registered nurse of 36 years she also has a strategic overview of nursing within the Hurley Group.

Her previous leadership and nursing positions include: Transplant Co-ordinator at Kings College Hospital, Director of Nursing NHS Direct, Lead Nurse Community Service, Lewisham PCT, and Deputy Head of Primary Care at NHS England.

During Sharon’s time in Unscheduled Care the team has delivered the Integrated Unscheduled Care Strategy. This includes direct bookings/referral directly into Bexley UTC’s. This service redesigned has enhanced the patient pathway as patients being directed by NHS 111 are seen and treated within an hour of their arrival.

Other success in Unscheduled Care include the implementation of a digital front-end (eTriage). This is fully compliant with the National Strategy for Urgent Treatment Centres. To achieve this, systems, processes and policies have been embedded in order for the system to identify and prioritise the most unwell patients as soon after their arrival as possible.

Sharon has a strong commitment to Clinical Governance and is an active member of the SE London Emergency and Urgent Care Board and the SE London Clinical Governance Committee. These committees are made up of Urgent Care Providers/Commissioners. The focus of these committees is the maintenance of a consistent whole system approach to the provision of high quality care and patient safety.

Outside work Sharon enjoys international travel, cooking, cinema and walking.