Nepean Blue Mountains executive
Find out more about the people driving the strategic, quality and safety, corporate and operational matters in Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (LHD).
Our executive team
Our Executive Team guides our strategic directions to deliver world-class health care to meet the needs of our community. With a wealth of experience, the team steers the operation and development of our health services and staff.
Chief Executive (CE) Brad Astill drives the strategic, quality and safety, corporate and operational services of Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
Brad works with the Local Health District Board, Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, University partners and the community to provide the best possible health care to the people and communities of the Local Health District.
In his role as CE, Brad aims to foster innovation, improved health outcomes and collaboration with a focus on exceptional patient care. This is achieved through collaboration with staff, the community, regional and primary care associates to ensure health services continue to be safe, high-quality and effective for the entirety of the local population.
The Executive Director, Operations has overarching responsibility for the delivery of acute clinical services across Lithgow/Portland, Blue Mountains/Springwood and Hawkesbury hospitals, and supports delivery of community and some inpatient services in specialities such as Drug and Alcohol, Primary Care & Community Health, Oral Health, Public Health and Mental Health.
Through effective and efficient planning, these services are aligned with the strategic priorities of the Local Health District, and the Ministry of Health, and incorporate Value Based Health care initiatives such as virtual care, collaborative commissioning, and patient reported experience measures.
The Directorate is committed to quality patient care first and foremost, and a strong advocacy for the voice of the patient underpinning all health decision making.
As General Manager of Nepean Hospital Brad Ceely’s core responsibilities revolve around ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, and patient-centred care. He oversees operational performance, strategic planning, workforce management, and financial stewardship across the hospital. A key part of the role is fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, working closely with clinical and non-clinical teams to meet the evolving needs of our community.
Brad’s journey to NBMLHD has been shaped by a series of leadership roles across both metropolitan and regional health services. Prior to joining Nepean Hospital, he held senior management positions where he led major service redesigns, implemented integrated care models, and supported workforce development initiatives. These experiences have given him a deep appreciation for the complexities of healthcare delivery and the importance of strong local leadership.
He is passionate about improving patient flow, enhancing staff wellbeing, and embedding innovation into everyday practice. One of Brad’s key focus areas is strengthening partnerships across primary, community, and tertiary care to ensure seamless transitions for patients. He is also committed to advancing digital health solutions and data-driven decision-making to support better outcomes.
Brad is inspired most by the dedication of our people – whether they’re on the front line or behind the scenes, their commitment to care is unwavering. Working at NBMLHD offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a diverse and growing region. Brad is driven by the chance to contribute to a system that supports people at their most vulnerable and empowers teams to deliver excellence every day.
This diverse portfolio ensures improved health outcomes for our community and patient experiences now and into the future.
With a highly skilled allied health workforce, the Directorate is focused on allied health professional governance; research; population health and programs to improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal communities, people with disability, and people from CALD backgrounds; as well as Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine.
Led by Karen Arblaster, the Directorate benefits from her expertise as a values driven leader who is committed to keeping people at the heart of all we do.
The role of Clinical Governance is to promote and support patient safety and quality of services.
The Clinical Governance team works collaboratively with other staff to analyse, maintain and improve patient safety and quality systems across the District. Clinical Governance provides support for effective identification, investigation, management, monitoring and reporting of clinical safety risks and adverse patient events. Another important function of Clinical Governance is to oversee incident-reporting, complaints handling systems and concerns/complaints regarding clinicians.
The Clinical Governance team works with and supports clinical staff to ensure rigorous review and audit of patient outcomes with effective uptake of safety initiatives. Clinical Governance provides support and facilitation for quality improvement activities to improve the services that are provided to patients, families and the community.
The Corporate Communications team helps to keep our communities, patients, consumers and staff informed and connected.
The team is responsible for planning, generating and delivering the District’s communications to external media and across our social media, website, corporate publications and internal channels in effective and innovative ways.
Strategic communications advice is also provided to District executives and senior staff by the Director, Paul Grocott, who is responsible for leading the highly skilled and experienced team.
Throughout his career, Paul has had the privilege of meeting seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things. For 10 years he worked in the busy media unit of a large Australian university and for more than a decade he was a television producer making primetime science and natural history documentaries and other factual programs here in Australia and overseas.
Helping people share their stories, communicate and connect with each other is what inspires and motivates him.
Responsible for planning and reporting on the use of financial resources, the Director of Finance and Corporate Services monitors budget performance and undertakes extensive reporting to the LHD Executive, Governing Board and the Ministry of Health.
With a focus on improved budget controls and management of financial performance and capability, the position also oversees financial management change and efficiency programs across the Local Health District to support LHD Strategic Objectives, and Government policy directives.
The ICT Directorate operates 24/7 and is responsible for providing efficient and effective support to every area and service across NBMLHD.
The Directorate oversees the running of all information, communication and technology services, systems, and products, enabling our staff to provide world class patient care to the region.
With a growing department of 40+ staff, the Directorate is well supported by Ashley Cooper who is a firm believer in allowing staff to grow and push themselves.
Ashley started his career as a bus driver before moving into corporate IT as a Desktop Support Officer at Nepean. Through lots of hard work and on the job training, he is proud to have become our Director Information Communication Technology.
Our nursing and midwifery workforce is well supported to provide quality, patient-centred care. With a dedicated professional development and innovation framework, the Nursing & Midwifery Directorate provides management and leadership in the standards of professional clinical practice.
Led by Kim Maddock, whose 26 years of experience in the public health system and nursing background spanning multiple specialties including surgery, medicine, aged care, sub-acute care, cancer care, patient flow and bed management, the Directorate benefits from her skilled stewardship and focused vision.
Kim has held a range of senior leadership positions at Nepean Hospital and the Local Health District executive offices.
She has a passion for innovation and quality improvement through clinical best practice. In 2017, Kim led a team that developed and implemented an innovative handover process that won the "Patients as Partners" category at the NSW Health Awards. The initiative empowers patients and improves patient safety and communication.
Kim is committed to fostering the professional development and practice of nurses and midwives, continuously striving to maintain a positive work culture for nurses and midwives in Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
Martin Price serves as the Director of People and Culture for the Local Health District, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the workforce strategy, organisational culture, worker health and safety and employee experience across the District.
He has a particular interest in helping develop an organisational culture that enables effective patient care. With a strong commitment to NSW Health’s CORE values – Collaboration , Openness, Respect, and Empowerment – he leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for Workforce Strategy & Culture , Human Resources, Industrial & Employee Relations, Health, Safety & Risk, and Workforce Systems & Performance.
Martin brings extensive health sector experience as a Director People and Culture to NBMLHD, including having held this role with two local health district organisations in New Zealand. His earlier background in senior People & Culture management roles is in the private sector, including roles in the telecommunications and energy sectors, and more than a decade running his own consulting business.
In the Planning, Redevelopment and Project Management Office, the team is focused on complex, high-priority redevelopment, planning and strategic projects to expand hospital and community-based services for the communities our District serves.
The Directorate leads operational planning, providing strategic oversight for high-priority initiatives, including the $1 billion Nepean Hospital Redevelopment.
Led by Vanessa Clements, the Directorate benefits from her experience in a variety of clinical and health leadership roles in Australia and the UK spanning more than 30 years. Her focus is on bringing people together and creating a shared purpose to improve the outcomes and experiences of the people we care for.
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