Meet the team

Our senior team lead and manage the day-to-day delivery and running of Accelerate. They provide the motivation and leadership that means we can deliver a world-class service and be the best in all that we do.

Made up of clinical and non-clinical experts, this four-strong team is responsible for the development and delivery of all future plans for Accelerate. It’s this team that also sets out the path of success for coming years.

Alison Hopkins

Executive Director – CEO

Alison is Accelerate CIC’s first CEO. She led the team’s Right to Request in 2011 resulting in the set-up of Accelerate CIC as an independent organisation, the best route to developing this specialist wound and lymphoedema care service for NHS patients.

She has specialised in wound care since 1989 and has an MSc in Psychology and Health.

She first joined Tower Hamlet’s District Nursing Service in 1986 setting up the leg ulcer service in 1989. As a Tissue Viability Nurse she was mentored by the late Professor Gerry Bennett, founder of the East London Wound Healing Centre.

The British Journal of Nursing awarded Alison ‘Tissue Viability Nurse of the Year, 2013’. Alison oversees the smooth running of the organisation and its development as well as continuing to provide clinical care to patients. She also contributes to the development of the field, writing in academic journals and speaking at conferences.

Alpana Malde

Commercial Director

Alpana Malde, Commercial Director, Accelerate CIC

Alpana joined Accelerate as Commercial Director in July 2022. She brings a wealth of commercial and financial expertise to the Accelerate Strategic Leadership team. She has worked in commercial and not for profit organisations, and since 2004 has been part of leadership teams in two hospices. She was responsible for negotiations with the NHS and also for the financial strategy in these roles.

Alpana says , “ I am very excited to join Accelerate at a crucial juncture. I hope my commercial skills will support Accelerate to secure its position as the leading provider of complex wound and lymphoedema care in North East London and beyond.”

Caitriona O’Neill

Director of Clinical Services & Clinical Lead for Lymphoedema

Caitriona joined the team in 2008 as the new Lymphoedema Service was launching for Tower Hamlets. In 2015 she led on developing the City and Hackney Lymphoedema Service.

Catriona trained as a Registered General Nurse at Waterford Regional Hospital in the 1990s before moving to London to pursue a career in palliative care.

Out of this developed a keen interest in lymphoedema and particularly around the lack of provision within the UK, and a desire to address this inequity. Catriona uses this passion to encourage East London boroughs that do not have a lymphoedema provision to access Accelerate’s service.

Karen Staines

Director of Research and Wound Care

Karen joined Accelerate in January 2017 and brought with her a wealth of over 40 years nursing experience including orthopaedic and community nursing before moving into specialist practice in 2008.

After qualifying as a Lymphoedema Specialist and setting up a service in Mid Essex, she then completed her BSc in Tissue Viability taking a joint lead role as a Tissue Viability Nurse in South West Essex.

Prior to joining Accelerate Karen spent 4 years working in industry as a clinical specialist with L & R where she was able to utilise both her lymphoedema and tissue viability skills in supporting services throughout the South East through clinical support and education.

Karen’s passion for innovation in practice has taken her into leading on Research and Development in Wound Care at Accelerate.

Georgina Ritchie

Director of Education

Georgina has over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, teaching and learning.

Georgina trained and served as a military nurse within the British Army, serving in mainland UK and on operational duties until 2004, when she moved to the NHS.

Georgina has held roles within the NHS such as community staff nurse, district nursing sister and modern matron, before coming into education in 2010. Georgina spent ten years at The University of Central Lancashire, most recently leading The Family, Community and Public Health portfolio, and has focused specifically on developing education in community and district nursing, as well as leg ulcer and lower limb care and management, whilst always maintaining an active role in clinical practice.

Georgina is registered as a community specialist practitioner and V300 non-medical prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and holds a master’s degree in education (MEd).

She is passionate about education as a foundation to support confident and competent clinical practice within the fields of tissue viability and lower limb care.