Mr Arshad Siddiqui is a general surgery registrar and 2025 Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellow, seconded to Velindre University NHS Trust. His fellowship focuses on enhancing whole-system cancer care through improved collaboration in research, innovation, education, and patient and public involvement. Arshad began his NHS career at Queen’s Hospital Romford and joined the national surgical training programme in Wales. He has held various leadership roles, including student council Sports Secretary and university football team captain, and was awarded the Kenyan President’s Gold Award for his leadership and dedication to community service.

I am a registered nurse with over 24 years’ experience, specialising in emergency and major trauma care. I was the first nurse appointed to a major trauma role in Wales and have played a key part in developing the South Wales Major Trauma Network.

Currently, I lead the Major Trauma Service and Polytrauma Unit as Senior Nurse. In 2024, I completed a Master’s in Trauma Sciences (Distinction) at Queen Mary University of London. I look forward to further collaboration with HEIW and the Welsh Blood Service to enhance trauma care and leadership across Wales.

I am a physiotherapist with clinical and research interests in chronic respiratory care, recently completing a PhD with Swansea University. I also serve as Allied Healthcare Professional (AHP) Lead for respiratory conditions in NHS Wales, working to deliver high-quality, equitable, and prudent care across the nation.

Through the Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellowship, I am eager to expand my network, deepen my understanding of the wider health ecosystem, and develop leadership skills to lead with compassion and maximise my impact.

I am an optometrist with keen interests in paediatric eye care, education and healthcare leadership. I currently provide locum services in South Wales and have held a variety of roles in my career including clinical teaching and assessment, research, and representative roles with professional bodies.

I have also completed postgraduate degrees in Vision Science & Psychology, and Medical Education. I am rugby mad, an aficionado of board games, and a proud father to two amazing daughters.

After graduating from Cardiff University in 2016, I worked as a community pharmacist before completing a PGCE and teaching Science, which deepened my passion for education. In 2023, I joined HEIW as a Clinical Placement Facilitator, supporting the Pharmacy Undergraduate Placement Programme across Wales. This role allows me to combine my pharmacy and teaching experience to enhance clinical placements and student learning. I'm particularly interested in experiential learning, digital innovation, and quality improvement. Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, family time, and campervan adventures.

I'm a paediatric trainee, currently ST4, and also work as the rare disease clinical fellow for the Syndrome Without A Name (SWAN) clinic. Medically my interests lie in general paediatrics, immunology, genetics and rare disease. I have a strong interest in leadership and am always looking at ways improve systems and the life of a resident doctor. Outside of work I'm a keen hobbyist and love dabbling in carpentry, electronics, photography and much more. I'm happiest when travelling around in my self-built campervan.

I’m a GP trainee based in South Wales with an interest in Digital Health. I’m currently studying for a MSc in Health Informatics to explore how technology can support and improve our health system, and my research is focussing on AI in primary care. I sit on the steering group of the Welsh Medical Committee, play an active role in the Trainee Think Tank, and am involved in digital and trainee-focussed projects with ABUHB and HEIW. I live in Cardiff with my wife, our daughter, and our border collie.

I am a Physiotherapist with broad experience in rehabilitation settings across acute, community and mental health services. An interest in health inequalities lead to me completing an MSc in Public Health.

This enabled me to gain experience in health protection within a local health board and I currently work as a Senior Public Health Practitioner within the Health Improvement Division in Public Health Wales.

I’m looking forward to joining the WCLTF programme this year. In my spare time I can often be found practicing yoga.

I’m an MSK physiotherapist with over 22 years experience and currently lead the First Contact Practitioner and core MSK Physiotherapy service at Hywel Dda.

I previously spent 15 years overseas with the British Ministry of Defence, providing care to service personnel and families in Germany, Brunei, and Cyprus. These roles have shaped my passion for driving health system transformation.

Based in Pembrokeshire with my 9-year-old son, I enjoy coastal living, travel, and connecting with others committed to improving healthcare.

Thomas is a GPST2 Registrar on the Glamorgan Valleys Scheme. A Cardiff medical graduate with a BSc and PgDip in Medical Education, he has a strong background in teaching and simulation. He has held roles as a Teaching Fellow and Honorary Clinical Teacher, and co-founded the Developing Medical Educators Group. Passionate about widening access to medicine, he is the first in his family to pursue a healthcare career. Outside work, he supports local charities and hosts a pub quiz. As a Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellow, he aims to enhance his leadership skills while developing an Immunotherapy Toxicity Service in Swansea Bay.

Vanessa is a clinical pharmacist and independent prescriber working in GP practices in Cardiff & Vale UHB. With a career spanning primary, secondary, and tertiary care, she spent 15 years as an oncology and palliative care specialist at Velindre NHS Trust. Her global work includes medicine access projects in Uganda and consultancy for WHO. Vanessa is passionate about planetary health and is leading a Bevan Exemplar project on medicines and climate impact. She joins the Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellowship to support IBD national standards and further develop her clinical leadership skills for equitable, high-quality patient care.