Professor Louise Toner
Director of the Wound Healing Practice Development Unit
IBA Development
Professor Louise Toner leads the IBA programme development at Birmingham City University. Louise introduced the IBA framework into the university in 2015 by running a series of programmes. These included a bespoke course supporting Midwifery staff and another to support students as part of the High Achievers Programme. In 2019, IBA was embedded into a new 20 credit MSc module titled Understanding and managing behaviours of self, teams and organisations which was offered to national and international students. Under Louise’s leadership, IBA Pilot Programmes have gone on to be shortlisted in the category of ‘Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ by the Times Educational Supplement (TES) Independent School Awards.
More about Louise
Louise is a nurse, midwife and academic by professional background; she has a wealth of experience working with the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and within the higher education sector again across all countries, bar Northern Ireland. Since moving into higher education, she has maintained strong partnership working with colleagues within health and social care across all sectors. Prior to retiring in September 2024, Louise was an Associate Dean and thereafter Professional Advisor with responsibility for advising on the faculty’s academic portfolio, collaborative course provision and international activities ensuring it is the right offering to meet the workforce needs of employers and the personal and professional development needs of qualified health and social care professionals. She is a member of the Birmingham Commonwealth Association’s (BCA) Board and a trustee of its Charitable arm, the Birmingham Commonwealth Society, having previously been the Chair of the Education Sub Group representing the BCA on the then Greater Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce in Birmingham/West Midlands.
A Group Non-Executive Director in the NHS Louise Chairs the Trusts Group Quality Committee, is the Senior Independent Director, member of the Trusts Audit Committee and NED Maternity Safety Champion across the group.
Louise has also worked for a hugely successful charity in the UK – Macmillan Cancer Support where she was responsible for an Education Development Programme for specialist nurses in Cancer and Palliative Care. She was previously Chair but is now Trustee of the Wound Care Alliance UK a charitable organisation who provide education and training for non-specialist healthcare staff both qualified and unqualified in the field of Tissue Viability. Her interest in Wound Care led to her establishing the faculty’s Wound Healing Practice Development Unit (WHPDU) of which she is the Director. This Unit delivers specialist workshops by our Professors in Wound Healing, undertaking product evaluations often in association with product manufacturers. Since er retirement Louise continues of work as the Director of the WHPDU, one day a week funded by Pioneer Wound Healing and Lymphoedema Centre. Her PhD focussed on Pressure Ulcers and her Master’s degree relates to her special interest in cancer care.