Maria is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and her professional career has been dedicated to caring and treating people with mental illness, either through nursing or via cognitive behavioural psychotherapy. She moved from frontline clinical practice to management and leadership roles which have spanned both North and South of the border, holding senior posts in a number of Boards in NHS Scotland. She supports work commissioned via Scottish Government and has studied at both Dundee and Queen Margaret Universities. Maria is the Executive Director of Nursing and care at NHS 24.