Deena Thomas – Cancer Pathway Improvement Manager

 

Deena Thomas, RGN, BSc (Hons), MSc, joined the Thames Valley Cancer Alliance in August 2025. With more than two decades of experience in nursing, education, and patient safety, she now leads quality improvement and cross‑system collaboration to streamline Gynaecology cancer pathways and deliver national priorities. She brings strong skills in policy development, data analysis, and evidence‑based decision‑making to drive innovations that reduce delays and improve outcomes.

Previously, Deena worked as an Advanced Transfusion Practitioner at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, where she strengthened safety and efficiency by leading incident investigations, local and national audits, analysing their findings, and presenting recommendations to the Clinical Improvement Committee to drive organisational learning and change.

During her time as an educator at OUH, she digitised training programmes which enabled a three‑fold increase in the registered nursing workforce during the COVID‑19 pandemic, supporting the Trust’s emergency response and continuity of services.

In addition to her NHS roles, Deena spent 12 years in the corporate sector as a Medical Training Officer for Emirates Airlines, where she gained valuable experience in continuous improvement, coaching, and cultural adaptability, working with staff from over 160 nationalities.

Her career reflects a commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration to make a meaningful impact in healthcare systems.