Jess Lester
Jess Lester joined Together for Short Lives in May 2026 as Clinical and Research Lead. This new role provides senior clinical leadership across Together for Short Lives’ most complex and high-profile programmes. The role leads the design and delivery of national clinical initiatives, strengthens clinical governance and safeguarding oversight, and builds the organisation’s research and evidence capability.
Jess is an experienced children’s nurse with 23 years clinical experience across a range of acute clinical settings and specialities followed by the latter 16 years as Community Children’s Nurse (CCN) and Lead CCN at University Hospital Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. Supporting the growing team with service delivery, operational and strategic leadership whilst developing and delivering innovative programmes. Developing and nurturing relationships with the wider multi-disciplinary team and working in partnership with Clinical Nurse Specialists, other local CCN teams and commissioners to ensure efficient discharge and as seamless a package of care as possible for individuals needing clinical care in the community. Jess has experienced care delivery for children in palliative care in different areas of her clinical career, always striving to deliver high quality, evidenced based care to every baby, child, young person (BCYP) and their care givers whatever their situation.
In 2025, Jess joined the NHS England (NHSE) South West Children and Young People’s (CYP) Transformation team to support the South West CYP commissioners, service providers and Voluntary sector teams planning and delivering care and support to BCYP in the South West. Although her portfolio was Long Term Conditions, Transition and Complexities of Excess Weight, she also supported the wider South West BCYP programme including engagement sessions for the Palliative and End of Life Model Service Framework, the ‘Fit for the Future: NHS 10 Year plan’, and Neighbourhood health multi-disciplinary modelling. Whilst with NHSE she completed a Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign (QSIR) programme to support her continued drive of self-development and bringing the best care to all BCYP. She was also successful in becoming a Queens Institute Community Nurse (QiCN) at this time which enabled her to continue her passion of developing the role of Community Children’s Nurse and supporting the South West CCN, QiCN networks and national QiCN and Association of British Paediatric Nurse Networks.
Outside of work, Jess enjoys spending time with her immediate and extended family, walking the family dog in the local area and spending time with friends.