Nicola Payne worked as a carer before joining the NHS in 2013 as a community nurse with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. She started in the role of senior staff nurse for care homes in January 2016 and joined NEMS in May 2017.

She is involved in a number of projects across Nottinghamshire and works in collaboration with the local authority.

In her current post of independent care sector programme lead, her role is to scope the Midlands and East area to understand what the workforce development needs are in relation to the implementation of the Enhanced Health in Care Homes framework.