Laura Francis is a nurse by background and has worked predominately within theatres and anaesthetics since qualifying over 18 years ago. Laura initially started her NHS career at York Teaching Hospital, working across surgical wards & departments, then moved to Leeds Teaching Hospitals where she has worked across many areas including Theatres, Patient Safety, Education and was instrumental in implementing trust wide staff recognition awards.

Laura joined WYAAT in 2022 as a Project Manager for the Elective Recovery Programme within West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT).  With Laura’s keen interest in project planning and quality improvement, she leads on workforce and Peri-Operative Care where she works collaboratively with surgical teams, to share best practice, work towards a standardised approach, and create an environment where the patient is front and centre of all that we do. 

Her zeal for the NHS led to her having a vison to launch the ‘NHS: A Career in Surgery’ which culminated in a system wide event showcasing the benefits of working in surgery to 300+ 16 to18 year-old students.