Dr Ivan Graham

Dr Ivan Graham first started in the NHS in 1990, as a volunteer, aged 15, while undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Leigh Infirmary in Lancashire. Ivan qualified as a registered nurse in 1997 and worked as a Staff Nurse in Accident and Emergency (A&E) in Wigan, Lancashire. Having been a very active member of the Air Cadets, Ivan joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a registered nurse in the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) in 1997. As well as a specialty of emergency care, Ivan was a trained RAF Flight Nurse and served as part of Tactical Medical Wing and the Deployable Aeromedical Response Teams Squadron. Ivan spent time in several overseas countries, including Canada, Egypt, and Oman; and was deployed Operationally to Kuwait and Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan in 2004.

Ivan first started at Peterborough District Hospital (PDH), in 1997 as an RAF nurse, when it was a Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU). After leaving the RAF in 2005, Ivan returned to Peterborough as a Charge Nurse in A&E and was later appointed as the Trust’s first male Matron for the then Emergency and Critical Care Division in 2008. Ivan was part of the team when the Trust moved to the new Peterborough City Hospital in 2010. In 2015, Ivan was appointed as an Assistant Director of Nursing for the Trust.

In 2018, Ivan moved to Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge as their Deputy Chief Nurse and was a key part of the leadership team during their move to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in 2019. During the second surge of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ivan was appointed as Acting Chief Nurse in 2020 for Royal Papworth Hospital, and was in this role for six months, covering a secondment for the substantive Chief Nurse. During a period of major change across the NHS, Ivan returned to North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust in 2022, to start in a newly formed position of Divisional Nursing Director for the Urgent and Emergency Care Division. Following completion of his professional doctorate, Ivan joined ARU in October 2026 as a Lecturer in Nursing.

Throughout his career, Ivan has been involved in learning, teaching and mentoring, including NVQ, apprenticeships, pre and post registration nursing. Ivan is also an experienced clinical instructor, having taught on the Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support (HMIMMS) course for over 20 years. Ivan is married, with two daughters. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and running. In his spare time, Ivan volunteers with Lincolnshire Police as a Special Constable, working on emergency response. As an Armed Forces Veteran, Ivan also volunteers as a member of the Royal British Legion, particularly during the annual Poppy Appeal.

Ivan’s professional doctorate thesis was titled: Exploring the experiences of Armed Forces Veterans working in the NHS.

• Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University (2026)
• Instructor: Hospital Major Incident Medical Management and Support (HMIMMS), Advanced Life Support Group Manchester (recertified 2024)
• MSc Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University (2012)
• Generic Instructor Course (GIC), Advanced Life Support Group Manchester (2006)
• BA (Hons) Nursing, Homerton College School of Nursing, Cambridge (2003)
• ENB (English National Board) 199 (Accident and Emergency Nursing), Homerton College School of Nursing, Cambridge (2002)
• ENB 870 (Research), Homerton College School of Nursing, Cambridge (2001)
• D32 & D33 (Clinical NVQ Teacher & Assessor), City and Guilds (2000)
• ENB 998 (Teaching and Assessing), Homerton College School of Nursing, Cambridge (1999)
• Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) Nursing, University of Central Lancashire (formerly Lancashire College of Nursing and Health Studies) (1997)
• Registered Nurse (RN) Adult, Lancashire College of Nursing and Health Studies (1997)

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) – member
• Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – member

• 999 Frontline, Anglia TV, May 2006