City of Bath

I was elected one of the Public Governors for City of Bath in 2022 and took over from Peter McCowen as Lead Governor of the RUH in November 2023 after he had completed his term of office. During my first year with the Trust, I became acquainted with the complexities of the organisation and made many new friends among colleagues, staff, patients and the wider community.

I have a legal background and am an Emerita Professor of Law at Cardiff University where I founded and directed for many years their Legal Aspects of Medical Practice (LLM) degree, the first degree of its kind. I have practised as a barrister and have published widely on medical law and ethics and the law of tort. I was founding editor of the journal “Medical Law International” and I edit Butterworth's Medico-Legal Reports. My contributions to public life include membership of the UK NHS Complaints Review Committee, whose recommendations form the basis of modern NHS Complaints Systems. I was also a member of the UK Silicone Gel Breast Implant Review Group and of the NICE Guideline Committee on Cannabis for Medicinal Use.

I have held senior posts in NHS Wales, among them Chair of Powys Health Board, Chair of the Wales Cancer Research UK Governance Board, Chair of the Welsh NHS Confederation, member of the Wales DNAR-CPR Core Group and of the expert reference group for the Human Transplantation (Wales) Act. More recently I was appointed a Council Member of the UNESCO Department of Education and was a panel member in their webinar discussion series “In the Wake of COVID-19”. I continue to deliver seminars for UNESCO on Medical law and Ethics and for Bath Spa University on Public Law, including Equality Law and Human Rights on their Master’s degree.

It is a privilege and a pleasure to join the Board of Governors as a representative for the City of Bath ward.

I hope to bring the knowledge and expertise acquired from a working life spent in the public sector in various different roles and Government departments to this new role. I look forward to getting to grips with the task in what are very difficult times for the NHS and public services more generally.

North East Somerset

I have been involved with BaNES Council since its inception in 1995, representing the Chew Valley Ward as a District Councillor. Following the last election, I now have the opportunity to offer my expertise, knowledge and commitment to help shape the future of the RUH to benefit the local community.

As a previous Cabinet Member for BaNES Council, my portfolio for Adult Social Care gave me an in depth insight into both the services that were provided, and the challenges that were faced on a daily basis. I have also been Chairman of the Children and Adults Scrutiny Panel which has allowed me to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of the current services provided for the community. I recognise how important effective interaction and communication is to understand and deliver the needs of the community.

I joined the RUH as a member many years ago, having moved to the Bath area in 1996. As a resident, I have a vested interest in ensuring that the Trust continues to provide the best services for our region and I believe that the NHS should remain free for all UK residents at the point of use.

I run my own business but I retired from teaching in 2022 and I now have more time to devote to volunteer roles. I serve as the Chair of Claverton Parish Council, a role I enjoy and that has allowed me to hone my skills in running meetings, dealing with controversial issues and looking for outcomes that take all stakeholders' interests into account.

I am a good listener, genuinely interested in people, and have a good eye for detail. Through my training as a linguist and years of work in a multilingual, multicultural setting, I have developed a keen awareness of cultural differences and nuances of meaning and messaging.

Over the years, I have experienced many of the services offered by the Trust, most recently as a vaccination support volunteer, and have a strong interest in improving and extending mental health provisions and services for our senior citizens.

Mendip

I have lived in Mendip since 1996 and am very pleased to have been elected to represent the area. I believe it is important to support organisations that provide services to local communities, and plan to focus on the delivery of health services that meet the needs of the local population whilst informing the community of current and future health provisions.

I have considerable experience working within large, complex organisations and have moved from a career in manufacturing to a career in people and organisational development within the health sector. I have worked as a consultant with major organisations in both the UK and Australia. This work has included coaching staff and enabling improvement, through empowering people to embrace change.

Since returning to the UK, I have worked with several large NHS Trusts who provide both physical and mental health services. I also have experience of working with Adult Social Care Teams and GP services. Voluntary roles have previously included being a Primary School Governor, and the recruitment of local magistrates. Currently, I support my local community shop.

Chris Norman

Often a fresh pair of eyes from someone completely outside of a business throws up all sorts of suggestions. Some may well have been used and failed whilst others have never been thought about.

My aim as a Governor is to be as constructive as possible at all times and  be a good listener.
I look forward to meeting fellow Governors, NHS staff and the public.

We live in financially hard times and so my business background in farming and running and innovative engineering company should be an asset.

North Wiltshire

I am very excited to have been elected as a Public Governor and am pleased to have this opportunity to offer my time, experience and support to a service that my family and I are very grateful for.

I plan to be an active participant in supporting, challenging and reviewing the governance and development of the RUH for the betterment of all.

I have worked in the UK regulated rail industry for over 40 years and have lived in Wiltshire for over 35 years. I am familiar with the complexities that regulated bodies need to manage, recognise the need to listen and support both stakeholders and the local community.

As a supportive and experienced leader I have developed committed individuals and high performance teams. I also have strong presentation, communication, advocacy and negotiation skills and have had multiple opportunities to work with, listen to and understand the needs of a diverse range of stakeholders and communities.

I have always sought to follow the required principles of public service which has included being selfless in my actions, objective and open when working with stakeholders. Alongside my Public Governor role I am a Trustee of the League of Friends of Chippenham Hospital and aim to utilise my knowledge and experience to address challenges and support the NHS and its future growth.

I have long been interested in the welfare of the NHS. Formerly I was an ambassador for the Patients Association and have been a patient representative on the RUH's Medication Safety Group for the last 10 years and more recently Public Governor of the RUH for North Wiltshire. I also have a family interested in the NHS as my son is a GP and his wife is a respiratory consultant at the Trust.

I founded and managed a professional engineering consultancy business until my retirement and my work included refurbishing and upgrading some of the older NHS hospitals in the West Midlands. The skills I gained whilst serving a wide variety of clients and managing an expanding team of engineers will serve me well in the Governor role. My experience as a member of the RUH Medication Safety Group has also given me an understanding of the workings of the hospital as well as some of the challenges it faces. I hope to be a positive and constructive influence on the Council of Governors.

South Wiltshire

I have been undertaking voluntary work since I retired from full time employment (the final 25 years of which were in Board level roles with a national retailer) and am pleased to have this opportunity to use my experience in business and as a Trustee to add value.

The most relevant and rewarding aspects of my voluntary work have been my time as Trustee at Dorothy House Hospice Care where I was elected vice-Chair for my final 4 years and my current role on the Board of Trustees for Carer Support Wiltshire. Both of these roles have enhanced my understanding of the health and social care landscape and have fuelled my ambition to undertake voluntary work.

I am adept in strategic thinking and financial management and am a strong advocate of good governance, listening and communication. My experience as Trustee has also allowed me to develop the ability to positively influence executive efficiency and effectiveness. I recognise that the health and social care sector faces considerable challenges to be faithful to the 3 NHS founding principles and I will be a strong advocate for ensuring that the needs of the community are reflected in the future direction and development of the hospital.

I have been a Public Governor since November 2022 and appreciate more than ever, the valuable role that Governors play in reflecting the views of the public and as a group holding those in leadership positions to account. I remain passionately interested in supporting the National Health Service to be the best it can be in the ever changing and challenging times we live in.

I would hope that my work and life experiences, where I have given and received the care that the NHS works so hard to provide, will allow me to contribute in an objective, practical and pragmatic way.

Rest of England & Wales

As a mum of 4 boys who works in the care industry and believes in the future of the NHS, I am proud to have been elected as a Governor. I want the best for the NHS and feel that this role will give me an insight into the complexities and challenges that are faced.

It is public knowledge that the NHS is under pressure across the board and I believe that there needs to be collaboration with the community in terms of lifestyle and culture to enable a better understanding of the NHS and the services it provides. I want to be involved in the future of the NHS by listening and contributing as much as I can to make a difference. My mum was an NHS nurse and now my son is one too so I very much believe in what the NHS stands for.