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About us
The NHS Stammering Network is managed by a small leadership team.
Dr Vaughan Parsons - Mentor
GUY’S AND ST THOMAS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST / KING’S COLLEGE LONDON, LONDON
Vaughan is a research manager/research fellow in occupational health (OH) at a major teaching hospital and academic health science centre in London. Vaughan’s professional background is in psychology, public health and health service management and he works alongside other health scientists and academics to develop and deliver OH research studies across the NHS.
Vaughan has an interiorised (covert) stammer and has conducted research exploring the psychosocial impact of stammering on work in the NHS workforce. Vaughan is a specially trained mentor for NHS staff who stammer.
Norbert Lieckfeldt - Mentor
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London
Norbert is currently Corporate Governance Manager at ELFT and has been stammering all his life, with severity ranging from very severe to very mild. He previously worked for more than 20 years in various roles for the British Stammering Association, nearly 18 years as its Chief Executive. Norbert worked closely with Iain Wilkie in establishing the Employers Stammering Network and its then successful mentoring programme for people who stammer and is currently Trustee of 50 Million Voices, a new charity with a global ambition seeking to transform the world of work for people who stutter – and for employers and society.
Paula Bamber - Mentor
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Paula is the Head of Facilities at North Manchester General Hospital. In 2021 Paula has been in the NHS for 28 years commencing in general Administration, working through the ranks in the Procurement field which over time lead onto project management and Head of Service for the Soft FM provision. Paula began to stammer in early childhood and for many years experienced an extreme overt stammer. Today although Paula still possesses a stammer it is more covert and manageable. Paula is shortly due to undertake the Mentoring programme to enable her assist fellow stammers in their workplace.
Carol McIndoe - Mentor
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester
Carol is a Patient Experience Improvement Manager specialising in Disability Equality, a role she has held for 10 years. Prior to this she was based in the Trust’s Estates Department where her focus was on the accessibility of the built environment. Carol is currently studying part-time for her MSc Disability Studies: Inclusive Theory and Research and is writing her dissertation on the experiences in the NHS workplace of people who stammer, and themes arising could inform changes in work in the NHS. Carol started stammering on her first day of school and has had many years of speech therapy. She has a more overt stammer which can be a clear indicator of stress and is often extremely wearing if she has a busy day interacting with others.
Dr Yincent Tse
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle
Yincent is a Children’s kidney consultant and Lead for Quality and Safety at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. Son of first generation migrants, English was not his first language. He came to the UK aged 8 and adapting to a new language he started to stammer very noticeably. “My enduring memories of growing up was a total sense of helplessness and isolation, somehow during my adolescence coherent speech could only escape through sarcasm which must have been horrific for those around me.” He managed to get into medical school with kind words from admission tutors talking over him, ‘he can always be a pathologist if he can’t speak to patients.’ He has wide interests in quality improvement, equality, medical education and making animation to aid patient information.
Dr Lorraine Maher-Edwards - Mentoring Supervisor
Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London
Lorraine is a practitioner psychologist who works in the Rheumatology department of Guys Hospital in London; she also has a busy private practice. She has many years’ experience of working with people with a variety of long term physical and mental health conditions. Lorraine’s stammer can be unnoticeable to others and yet has been a challenge in particular in her work life. Lorraine’s relationship with her stammering has evolved throughout the years and she believes strongly that cultivating openness and acceptance of our vulnerabilities can allow for growth and change. Lorraine has mentored people who stammer working with the Employers Stammering Network and is now the mentoring supervisor for the NHS Stammering Network. She is also conducting research into the application of Acceptance and Commitment training (ACT) for self-advocacy in people who stammer (with Dr David Gillanders, Dr Ute Liersch & Sam Simpson).