Programme Manager,
Drug Interventions Programme
Integrated Care Organisation
NHS Wakefield

In 1971 John joined the Army he was the posted to various locations which included Germany, England, Cyprus, Hong Kong and to Northern Ireland on three separate occasions where he was Mentioned in Dispatches for his services while there.

In 1980 he joined West Yorkshire Police completing his training at Dishforth and was posted to Ireland Wood Police Station, North Leeds to complete his probation. For a five year period in the mid 80s he was a Detective Sergeant with the Force Drug Squad and he was involved in one of the first seizures of Heroin which was being supplied from a council house in the Gipton area of Leeds. In 1997 he moved to Wakefield Divisional CID where after a number of different roles he managed the Divisional Drugs Team. John was awarded his police long service medal and throughout his service he received a number of commendations for a variety of investigation before leaving the police as a Detective Inspector in 2004.

In the same year he joined the NHS as the Drug Interventions Programme Manager for Wakefield. In this role it is his job to ensure that the structures, processes and resources are available to deliver the programme. He also has to maximise the opportunities for those who engage with class 'A' substance misuse and who are offending to enter the programme to help reduce their criminal behaviour and to access appropriate treatment. He still maintains the DIP manager role and in November 2009 he added the programme management of the department of Health's Integrated Care Organisation Pilot his responsibilities. Within the ICOP he is the project lead for the Information Management and Technology Group and the Communications and Social Marketing Group.

Outside of work John is a keen scuba diver and is a member of the West Yorkshire Police Sub Aqua Club (WYPSAC). He has dived off all the coasts of mainland UK, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Skye and in warmer waters such as the Red Sea, Mexico and several Mediterranean locations.