Professor Karen Goudie has been appointed as the new Executive Nurse Director for NHS Forth Valley, following a competitive recruitment process which attracted a high calibre of senior nursing candidates from across the country.

Karen, who takes up her new role on 15 July 2025, was previously the Board’s Director of Nursing but in her new Executive position will also take on leadership responsibility for midwives and Allied Healthcare Professionals across the organisation.

Prior to this, Karen, who began her senior nursing career as Advanced Nurse Practitioner in NHS Forth Valley, has worked in a number of national and Board-wide roles. These included National Clinical Lead for Older People at Healthcare Improvement Scotland developing programmes to improve and monitor the care and experience of older people across the county. She also worked with the Scottish Government’s Chief Nursing Officer Directorate to deliver NHS Scotland’s first Nursing Quality Management System. Prior to joining NHS Forth Valley, Karen was a Nurse Consultant in NHS Fife and then Chief Nurse for University Hospital Monklands for 6 years, including during the Covid-19 pandemic, where she also led the roll out of a digital electronic observations programme across NHS Lanarkshire.

Prof Goudie said: “I have very much enjoyed working as Director of Nursing over the last 18 months however I’m excited to be taking on new challenges in this Executive Leadership role where I will have responsibility for a workforce of more than 4000 nurses, midwives and AHPs across Forth Valley.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Prof Frances Dodd, the current Executive Nurse Director, who is retiring from her role in July 2025. Over the last three years, Frances has driven forward many changes and improvements as well as strengthening our connections with local partners across Forth Valley and beyond. I look forward to building on this work and continuing to increase the training and development opportunities available to local nursing, midwifery and AHP staff.”