Dr Denise Chaffer

Dr Denise Chaffer is an Executive Clinical Nursing/ Maternity Patient Safety leader with over 15 years Executive Director Board level Experience, including providers, commissioning, two Acute Trusts a London Teaching hospital and previous  National role for Patient Safety. She has published a range of learning resources for maternity, just and learning culture, and Emergency care and she chaired the Independent Maternity and Neonatal review of Swansea Baby University hospital NHS Trust which was published in July 2025. 

She was previously Director lead for Early notification in maternity and the CNST maternity incentive scheme. She was President of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) July 21 – Dec 22. She has significant experience at working at international, national and regional level within acute and community settings, nursing, midwifery, education, governance, clinical risk and also on major change and reconfiguration initiatives. 

She was awarded a CBE 2023 and a RCN Fellowship in 2024. She holds a PhD, Master’s degree in Management and Social Care, BA degree, plus a Higher Education Teaching qualification. She published a book 2016 ‘Effective Leadership – A Cure for the NHS?’ She also contributed chapter on Patient Safety for ‘Clinical Negligence 6 th Edition’ published 2023 (Powers & Barton). She has also authored book due to be published in Nov 2026.

Health Care in Crisis? Exploring the leadership and cultural solutions  for sustained improvement.