O'Kelly succeeds Steven Ned, chief people officer at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who served as employer chair from March 2026 and retired from the NHS in September 2026.

‘Firstly I'd like to thank Steven for the contribution he has made as employer-side chair,' O'Kelly said.

‘I'm proud to take on this role at such an important time for the NHS workforce. In 16 years in this service, I've seen first-hand how much fair pay and good employment practice mean to the people delivering care every day, and I know how much difference the right decisions at national level can make on the ground. I'm looking forward to working with trade union colleagues and the whole Staff Council to get this right for NHS staff and ultimately the people we care for.'

O'Kelly has spent 16 years working across the NHS, having joined the service after an earlier career that took her from teaching into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the UK and overseas, before she moved into HR in the NHS.

She has been a member of the NHS Staff Council since 2023.