Divisional Triumvirate for Velindre Cancer Service appointed

21 March 2025

We are pleased to announce that we have appointed into three key leadership roles within Velindre Cancer Service (VCS), forming our Divisional Triumvirate.

These roles will provide leadership capacity and support, recognising the demands of the new hospital and clinical service pressures, while we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our patients and colleagues.

Kate Hannam has been appointed as the Divisional Director and will lead the Divisional Triumvirate.

Kate brings to significant executive and senior operational experience to VCS, having led and developed teams to achieve excellence in healthcare delivery and outcomes at both a local and system level.

With over 20 years working in the NHS, Kate has held a number of senior positions within the NHS, most recently Deputy Chief Operating Officer - UEC  (Urgent and Emergency Care) and Outpatient Transformation at East Kent University Hospital NHS Trust. Kate is committed to values-based leadership, openness and honesty, teamwork and building health relationships, internally and externally, and is passionate about further improving cancer care and outcomes for our patients and community.

Speaking about her appointment, Kate said: "I am really excited to be joining Velindre NHS Trust. This is a great time to be joining the organisation and working with colleagues, stakeholders and patients to further develop the specialist cancer services to deliver improved outcomes for our patients as we prepare to transform our services in preparation to the opening of the new cancer centre and in delivering new models of care closer to home."

We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Carys Morgan as Divisional Medical Director of Velindre Cancer Service

Carys has 15 years’ experience as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist, specialising in the treatment of Oesophagogastric and Neuroendocrine tumours.

She has been Clinical Director for Oncology at VCS and national lead for Wales Upper GI Cancer Site Group, developing national optimal pathways for oesophageal and gastric cancer. She is part of the South Wales Neuroendocrine team recently designated as an ENETs centre of excellence and is currently commencing a PRRT (peptide receptor radioisotope therapy) service for Welsh NET patients.

Born and brought up in Cardiff, she is passionate about delivering high quality care for patients close to home.

Carys says, “I am really pleased to be taking on this role at such a crucial and exciting time for VCS. I’m really looking forward to working with our amazing multi-professional staff to develop and improve our services further and deliver the best quality care to the patients of South Wales.”

We are also pleased to have appointed Emma James as Director of Nursing, AHPs (allied health professionals) and Health Scientists, completing our Divisional Triumvirate team. Emma is an experienced Nurse Director whose background includes both nursing and operational leadership including emergency and acute medicine and critical care.

She is a qualified nurse practitioner and non-medical prescriber with a Bachelor of Nursing degree and MSc in Advanced Practice from Cardiff University. She has completed a PG Cert in palliative care and an MBA at Birmingham University in clinical leadership.

Emma has extensive experience in staff development, organisational change, patient flow and the development of patient pathways. She also has board level experience through her work with City Hospice.

When Emma isn’t working, you will find her on the beach with her husband and daughter, or with her head in a book.

Emma says, “I am so pleased to have been successful in achieving the divisional nursing post and I am very much looking forward to joining the team and meeting staff across all the divisions to get a real feel for Velindre and to understand the future aspirations they have for their services.”