Helena Jopling – Trustee

Career profile:

Helena took her first degree in Archaeology and Anthropology before deciding to pursue a career in medicine.  The population perspective from anthropology, combined with the prevalence of preventable illness that she observed in the hospitals where she trained, led her to specialise in public health.  Helena worked in NHS hospitals, health commissioners, Public Health England and NHS England before joining West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) as a public health consultant in 2016.  She has been a Senior Clinical Tutor with the University of Cambridge and is currently studying for an MBA.

From 2020 to 2024, Helena was the Associate Medical Director of WSFT’s new hospital project.  In this role, Helena led the development of a new clinical and care strategy, forecasting future healthcare needs, and overseeing the designs for the new hospital and associated facilities.  It was this role that led Helena into closer working with St Nicholas Hospice.

Why did you become a St Nicholas Hospice Care Trustee?

Helena feels privileged to be joining St Nic’s at an important time in the organisation’s history, and that of the hospice movement in general.  She brings expertise in strategy and service design, healthcare data and technology, and reducing health inequalities.  A resident of Bury St Edmunds, Helena enjoys sewing and knitting in her spare time and relaxing on the beautiful Suffolk coast with her family.