Professor Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer and Joint National Clinical Director for Respiratory Programmes

Professor Sue Hill PhD DSc CBiol FSB Hon MRCP OBE was appointed as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at the Department of Health in 2002, as the National Clinical Lead for Physiological Measurement Diagnostics in 2005 and as the joint National Clinical Director for Respiratory Programme in 2009.

A clinical respiratory scientist by background, she is the professional head of the 53,000, healthcare scientist workforce in the NHS and related organisations.

In her various roles she provides expert advice to ministers and senior government officials and leads on or contributes to the development of policy and other initiatives across the Department of Health.

A significant part of her job involves working across government, with the NHS and other external stakeholders to deliver strategic change, introduce new and innovative ways of working, improve evidence based diagnostic and clinical services and to raise the profile and importance of science in health.

She has been leading the development of the National COPD strategy and took on responsibility for Home Oxygen Service in 2009.

Robin Winter, Joint National Clinical Director for Respiratory Programmes

Robert Winter qualified in London and undertook most of his postgraduate training at the Hammersmith Hospital. He has worked as a respiratory physician in the NHS for almost 20 years - in both acute general and university teaching hospitals. A past trustee of the British Lung Foundation and associate editor of Thorax, he was medical director of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2002-2008. Over the past three years Robert has been actively involved in the NHS Next Stage Review as medical director, NHS East of England and as a member of the new NHS Medical Board. Recently, he was appointed National Clinical Director for respiratory diseases, jointly with Professor Sue Hill, with a major focus on improving services for people with COPD. He was awarded OBE for services to medicine and healthcare in the New Year Honours, 2009.

Phil Duncan, Director, Lung Improvement Programme

Phil Duncan BSc (Hons), Dip HE, RN has worked in the NHS for nearly 22 years, first qualifying as a Registered Nurse in 1992. Following experience in a range of clinical settings, Phil moved into acute trust business and general management and to the Modernisation Agency in 2002. He has since worked with the Heart Improvement and Stroke Improvement Programmes as a National Improvement Lead and now Director of the Lung Improvement Programme. His work interests lie mainly with process redesign and sustainability of improvements as well as mainstreaming best practice within organisations.