Who We Are

Meet the Network Team 

The core network team consists of a Clinical Director, a Manager, Lead Nurses and a Support Manager. The core team is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, and based in Bristol. The team are very willing to travel to any of the Network's Centres/Hospitals as needed.

Dr Stephanie Curtis — Clinical Director

Dr Stephanie Curtis is a Consultant Cardiologist in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Obstetric Cardiology. She has a special interest inherited diseases of the aorta, such as Marfan’s syndrome.

Dr Curtis trained in Edinburgh, London, and Bristol and is British Society of Echocardiography accredited in trans-thoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. She regularly presents and chairs at regional and national meetings and has published in her areas of expertise.  Her research interests include various aspects of inherited aortopathies and pregnancy in congenital heart disease.

Dr Curtis runs ACHD and Inherited Cardiac Conditions clinics at the Bristol Heart Institute and also outreach ACHD clinics in Gloucester Royal Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. She is the Lead Cardiologist for the South West Maternal Medicine Network, which is a service run jointly by cardiologists, obstetricians, anaesthetists and midwives in providing care for pregnant women with heart disease across the South West of England. Dr Curtis set up and runs the Regional ACHD Training Programme for the South West and South Wales and is Co-Founder and Director of the Bristol and Cardiff ACHD Echo Course (est. 2016).

When not working, Dr Curtis is mum to two teenage boys and a cat. She is a lover of books, triathlon and open water swimming.

Michelle Jarvis — Manager  

Michelle started her time in the NHS whilst still at school, volunteering at the local community hospital serving drinks to patients. This led to a passion for patient care which has stayed with her and has led to her 20+ year and counting NHS career.

Following various administrative roles in hospitals throughout and after university, Michelle started her management career with a service improvement role in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Emergency Department where she caught the bug for emergency and front door care and stayed working in this area for the next 12 years in various different management and leadership roles - all driven by the aim to improve services for patients and deliver safe, high-quality care.

More recently, Michelle has worked in commissioning & contracting at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (NHS) working with partners across the BNSSG system and supporting with organisational planning.

Michelle is passionate about team working, collaboration and greatly enjoys working with colleagues across the multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) and different organisations. Michelle feels lucky to have experienced first hand how partnership working, including ensuring patients have a voice in service design and pathways, can achieve improved quality standards for patients.

Outside of work, Michelle loves spending time with her family and is a busy mum to three children. The family love to spend time with their friends and enjoy being outdoors, camping and travelling as well as family game nights at home.

Sheena Vernon — Lead Nurse (2 WTE)

Sheena qualified as a nurse in Liverpool. After gaining ward experience, she completed the Intensive Care Course at The Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. She took up a post in the cardiac surgery intensive care in Bristol. She worked a Sister on the cardiac intensive care for a number of years.

In 2002 she commenced as a clinical nurse specialist in adult congenital heart disease at The Bristol Heart Institute. She set up the nurse specialist service providing clinical advice support to patients, families and colleagues. The role involved setting up pre-assessment service, setting up young people’s clinics for patients transferring to the adult service, including annual young people’s clinics in the peripheral clinics. Clinical work included supporting patients undergoing cardiac surgery, cardiology procedures, patients with learning disabilities, complex pregnancy, end of life care and transition.  She set up nurse-led follow-up clinics in 2012.

Sheena is passionate about educating staff on the care of patients with congenital heart disease and began the regional annual adult congenital heart disease training days, which have run for fifteen years. Average attendance is 80 delegates. She presents regularly nationally on Adult Congenital Heart Disease and has published articles. She completed her Masters in Advanced Nursing Practice in 2010. 

In 2011 she represented the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) sitting on the ACHD Clinical Advisory Group for writing the CHD standards. Followed, in 2013 by sitting on the New Congenital Heart Disease Review group also representing the RCN.  Prior to this work she was an External Reference Group Member for 'A commissioning guide for services for young people and Grown-Ups with Congenital Heart Disease (GUCH)' Department of Health in 2006.

Sheena is a member of the British Adult Congenital Cardiac Association and was president of the group for five years commencing in 2008.

Outside of work, Sheena enjoys a busy social life with her children and husband, her friends and her church in Bristol. She enjoys swimming, walking and bird watching, the cinema, eating out, reading and BBC period dramas!

Becky Lambert - Lead Nurse (2 WTE)

Becky did her nurse training in Exeter, then worked in Oxford before moving to Somerset.

Becky has enjoyed a variety of nursing roles, including Cardiology outpatients, cath lab, Clinical Site Management and Governance. However, her passion for the past ten years has been congenital heart disease and striving to provide excellent care for this incredible group of patients.

During the last 10 years, she has worked hard to set up a specialist nurse role in Taunton, giving patients good local support and equity of access. She was fortunate to undertake a CHD module at London Southbank University and has been able to deliver education locally and via webinars.

Becky is also passionate about transition and was involved in setting up a local transition clinic and has seen massive benefits for the patients with congenital heart disease as they transfer to the adult services. This led to involvement in a panel looking at transition for complex patients in other specialties and raising the profile of the importance of transition across the Trust.

Becky is married to Paul, a doctor (endocrinologist), a mum of four (now adult) children and is now enjoying being a grandmother, otherwise known as “Mormor” to Tommy. She is in leadership in a local community church and enjoys walking, reading, and catching up with friends over good food and wine!

Rachel — Support Manager

Rachel was appointed to the post of Congenital Heart Disease Network Support Manager in 2020, having worked for the NHS in administration and managerial roles for several years.  She is passionate about the NHS values, collaborative working and continuously striving to improve patient and staff experience.  

In her spare time, Rachel loves spending time with family and friends, walking, cycling and exploring the countryside.