Meet our Council of Governors

I have enjoyed a successful 18-year corporate career.

In 1997 I established a business consulting practice providing services to both the private and public sectors, and in 2000 established a software business.

I have been an local education authority appointed school governor, chaired the Kettering and Corby policing area Independent Advisory Group for four years, was a member of the Northants Police stop and search working group, and a charity trustee.

I was born in Corby and went to school at Rockingham Road Primary school and Samuel Lloyd Comprehensive in the town before going on to further studies.  I have worked in law and accountancy and have run my own business for many years encompassing both.  I am a wife and proud mum of a 21yr old.

For the last 7 years, I have been a member of a Patient Participation Group at my local surgery in Corby and recently joined the Patient and Public Participation Committee for Corby and Nene Clinical Commissioning Groups.

I have personal experience of dealing with dementia, negotiating healthcare packages, dealing with funding issues and the difficulties people face in caring for loved ones in very difficult and emotional circumstances.

I have also been a mentor for 5 years to an individual person with mental health issues and have a good knowledge from both sides of mental health care, including the appeals process in specialist units in Northamptonshire.

I hope all of the above will give me a good grounding to grow into the role on the Council of Governors at KGH, that I will be able to contribute in positive ways to assist in the very bright future of the hospital, its staff and patients.

I am passionate about health care and ensuring it meets the highest standards possible. I am Northamptonshire born and bred and support local people in bringing forward relevant issues.

Informing people about the work of the hospital as well as encouraging people to join the KGH Foundation Trust has been a key initiative.

Having worked in the NHS for over 20 years managing a dietetic service in Bedfordshire I have a good understanding of the issues faced in providing services to patients. I now work as a freelance consultant dietician and undertake various projects including audits of services for the NHS. Thus I am up to date in issues like new ways of working and management.

I act as an expert witness plus was editor of Nutrition and Food Science and have written a number of books as well as having a successful blog.

As a Dietician I have an innate understanding of the role of nutrition in care and reducing costs of hospital stay.

My MBA is in Quality and Health Care and I have lectured in this and am able to be able to provide a balanced view regarding good Governance.

My PhD is in Diet and Diabetes which is a major cost to the NHS.

I qualified as a nurse in Dudley in 1976. Moving from there to Milton Keynes. I eventually began specialising in Wound Care.

Later I was approached by Johnson and Johnson wound care division  and crossed over to the commercial sector. It was during my time with J&J that I came to learn more about the NHS than I ever did from within it.

I have worked in theatres using their highly specialised products and have spent time  educating nurses on wound care in various locations throughout the UK.

Since retiring I have joined U3A a local educationally based charity. I am in my second year as Chairman.

It is my goal to assist the delivery of continuing patient care offering an independent community view.  I hope to continue this ambition in the next 3 years having previously served as a public elected Governor and was the Chair of the Performance Committee. I have also volunteered as a as a Patient Representative member of the Urgent Care Project team developing a business case for the new Urgent Care Hub (A&E). 

With 32 years of project management in industry and extensive personal and family experience of the working of KGH (and other healthcare authorities) I am well placed to use my knowledge to help further the Trust’s visions and plans.

I am a Parish Councillor and a Governor of a Kettering School.

I have spent almost half my life in Kettering where I received good post graduate speciality training. I then left to complete my higher surgical training in Newcastle, Sheffield and Leicester. I came back as a consultant in ENT/ Head &Neck Surgeon1986 -2011. I represented KGH in The Community Health Council until its dissolution. I was appointed External Assessor for The Health Services Ombudsman 1999-2010 and as a member of the Oxford Governance Forum undertook regular visits to Hospitals in the Oxford Region.

I did and continue to do Charity Work (Sheffield Int. Conference for Teaching Doctors in the Developing world), Egyptian Medical Society Medical Missions to Teach &Treat in Egypt. I am grateful to our Friends in the Corby Grampian Club for assisting in purchasing equipment.

I hope to utilise the experience gathered over the years to help understand and advise on governance issues concerning Providers and Recipients of health services in Kettering General Hospital.

Peter is a Chartered Engineer by profession and a visiting Professor at Northumbria University in the Built and Natural Environment school.

He has been involved in the public sector for most of his 40+ years working life. Spending the majority of time in the healthcare sector and social housing where his senior management experience includes, general, construction and asset and facilities management.

Since 2000, he has been Head of Construction and Facilities Management for the Department of Health, project lead at the Office of Government Commerce, (OGC) part of the Treasury and Managing Director of a private sector procurement company providing services for the National Decent Homes Program in social housing. Since 2011 Peter has taken on chairmanship of a number of organisations including Healthcare Facilities Consortium, Grovenbridge Academy and Constructing Excellence in Learning Ltd. His other roles including main board director at Constructing Excellence and a Trustee of the Patients Association, a position held since 2010, during which time he was joint chair for 4 years.

He runs a mentoring company and speaks regularly at conferences and seminars on Construction and FM related topics

I have been a business owner and director for most of my working life. For the last 22 years as finance and operations director with a company specialising in the publishing of historical journals and magazines for the British Armed Forces.

I am interested in the role that patients can play in the structuring of future projects and improving services within the NHS. Since retirement I have become involved with local health groups: as a member of my local Patient Participation Group, as Chair of Wellingborough Health Engagement Group and as a participant in the Patient and Public Participation Committee (PPPC).

I hope that with my previous experience I will be an asset to the Council of Governors and I look forward to being an active member.

I have lived in Wellingborough, where I am Borough Councillor for Rixon Ward & County Councillor for Croyland & Swanspool Division, since 2001 and am a very active, committed Community Champion. I now hope to contribute, as Wellingborough’s voice, to KGH, which I believe in passionately and whose improvement journey I want to help.

I am a regular visitor to KGH, Isebrook & Nene Park as a volunteer medical driver, also assisting attendees to access many wards and departments, so I see much of the site and experience patients’ views, but, am keen to represent all users.

I am keen that the disadvantaged live better lives, patients to return to their communities promptly and to see improvements for all patients in getting quality treatment at the earliest opportunity.

At NCC, I am Chairman of the £2.2bn Pensions fund, Finance Scrutiny Vice-Chairman and a former Assistant Cabinet Member, Finance, so well used to dealing with large sums and organisations and bring finance & IT skills to the hospital as well as knowledge about partner organisations to improve understanding and partnership.

For the Borough, I am a past Mayor and current Services Committee Chairman, with community and health responsibility, as well as having held other posts. My promotion of partnership working led to being in the ‘leading lights’ cadre of Councillors.

Most of my nursing career has centred around Kettering General Hospital, commencing as a 16 year old cadet nurse in 1974 then progressing through the years until I retired from my position as Recovery Matron in 2018.  I missed KGH so much that I decided to return and currently work as a Recovery Practitioner in Theatres for 2 days a week, which I love.

I have experience in a wide range of specialities such as Surgery, Anaesthetists, Recovery, Midwifery and Paediatric Nursing.  During the 1980s I also pursued a career as a Medical Sales Executive in the Pharmaceutical Industry for 8 years.  This was an interesting and eye opening career move, but I always missed nursing and returned to the fold in 1989.

I feel passionate about my Hospital and wish to play an active role in making positive changes to patient and staff experiences.

My career at Kettering General Hospital started in 2007 as a Health Care Assistant, initially on Harrowden A ward and then onto MAU.  After a short break away I returned to Kettering General in 2013 and have been Capacity Co-ordinator, Discharge Assistant, Service Support Manager, Capital Programmes Operational Delivery Manager, Cancer Services Manager and today Head of Strategic Corporate and Community Fundraising.  

My motto is “my hospital serving my community and my family, working alongside dedicated teams”.  I want this hospital to be the best it can be and therefore I will do my utmost to ensure that it will be.

I joined KGH in December 2016 after moving from the West Midlands. I joined the outpatient’s team mainly working in Frank Radcliffe clinic, and then I moved on to become the clinic scheduler for Trauma and orthopaedics.

I am hoping to bring my skills and knowledge to the governing body as I have been a staff governor twice before as well as parent governor and a parish councillor.

Patient care is always at the front of mind and gives 100 per cent to do my best for the patients I come into contact with. I am committed to KGH and I want to do my best not only for patients but for staff too.

I am a friendly and approachable person

I am an elected member of Northamptonshire County Council and am pleased to have been appointed as a Stakeholder Governor at Kettering General Hospital. I also sit on East Northants Council.

I have spent time both in the Royal Navy and in the Private Sector, working in Personnel for a group of companies in London.

The NHS has challenging times ahead and I welcome the opportunity to support the Trust as it strives to improve the services it offers.

I am a retired registered General Nurse with vast experience in nursing and management.

I have a particular interest in bringing quality care into the workplace. I trained at Kettering General Hospital where I held a series of senior roles before moving to South Wales where I obtained a degree to teach nursing.  I have held a number of positions including Lead Nurse Education Independent Sector; Investigator of complaints in the health service and Investors in People Advisor.

I undertake a lot of voluntary work including work with the Samaritans, Healthwatch: 15 steps challenge at Kettering General Hospital as well as being a patient representative

Qualified from Sheffield University MB Chb in 1969.

Had 2 years’ hospital experience in the Sheffield area.

Worked as a GP in Bingley, West Yorkshire until 1978.

Moved to Linden Avenue surgery, Kettering 1978 and worked as a GP in Kettering area until my 65^th birthday.

I then worked as a medical judge for H.M.Courts and Tribunal Service (Coventry area) until I reached the retirement age of 71.

Joined Kettering MIND as a volunteer in October 2001. Appointed to Trustee Board approximately 14 months later and elected treasurer 2 year ago.

I have been married to Dorothy for 45 years; have 3 sons, 3 daughters-in-law and 6 grandchildren.

I am very pleased to be involved in the governance of Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust at this time as it continues to make progress on caring for older people. For someone who is frail, vulnerable or has a dementia, who may be on the edge of his or her limits of coping at home in a familiar environment, and who is seeing the same people and doing the same things each day, the effect of going into hospital can be overwhelming.

Small considerations in how care is delivered can help to create a more positive hospital experience for individuals and for older people it is important that their care is shaped not just by their illness or frailty but also by the wider context of their life and relationships.

Sue has led a team of health and social care professionals working alongside community volunteers, to deliver a national Falls project and developed a successful relationship with a commercial healthcare provider which resulted in a substantial contract for Age UK Northamptonshire.

My background is in education as a Primary School Teacher. I have a Teacher’s Certificate of Education, a BA in Sociology & The Sociology of Education, a Reading Development Diploma and a Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies – Learning Through the Integrated Curriculum (together with colleagues wrote a book of the same title).

My last job was running The Small Schools Project in Cornwall working with all the small schools across the county in groups to enable pupils to work together and staff to share expertise. I worked with Exeter and Warwick Universities who were monitoring the project and sat on the Steering Committee at the Department of Education.

I had been my husband’s carer for fifteen years when I got involved in the Patient and Public Involvement Forum at the end of 2004 when the PPI Forums were introduced and I opted to get involved ay KGH. I have also been involved with the Local Involvement Networks until they were replaced by Healthwatch Northamptonshire and I have been a member of Healthwatch ever since.

When KGH became a Foundation Trust I was one of the first elected governors representing East Northamptonshire.

Representing Healthwatch I am involved in auditing and monitoring Health and Social Care Services mainly in the north of the county. With my colleague Wendy Patel I carry out the 15 Steps Challenge Audits on the wards and other areas at KGH, sit on the Patient Experience Steering Committee and am a Patient Representative on the Safeguarding Steering Committee.

My aim is to work towards getting the best health care experience for patients. Communication is essential and patient involvement vital.