Page 27 - Community Health magazine - issue 38

Let your voice be heard

Lead Governor and
Elected by their local communities and colleagues, our Council of public governor
Governors has a crucial role to play in making sure you get the for Dover, Carol
very best from your NHS and that your voice is heard. Coleman

Carol looks back on another busy year

for the KCHFT Council of Governors

“It’s hard to believe a year has passed services is unrelenting and there is more Love your NHS?
since I last reported on what the Council focus than ever on moving people into Become a member
of Governors has been up to and I am community settings for their rehabilitation
now in my second year as lead governor and recovery. Which is why I was so pleased NHS foundation trusts are like
for the trust. to be part of the team that helped to co-operatives where local people,
“We have been fortunate to welcome six landscape the new Elizabeth Ward Garden patients and staff can become
new governors to the team: Sarah Ansell at Victoria Hospital in Deal. members. By signing up, you can
for Ashford, Chris Cornell for Canterbury, “Colleagues from the council have also decide how much or how little you
Penny Shepherd MBE for Folkestone and taken part in crucial ‘we care’ and patient- want to be involved. We’ll keep
Hythe, Lea Dehaney in Gravesham and Jide led assessments of the care environment you up-to-date with information
Odumade for Swale. (PLACE) visits, which assess the quality about our services, you can take
“The council also welcomed Jan Harris and how patient-friendly our community part in surveys or questionnaires
to the role of staff governor for adult hospital and non-clinical environments are. from time-to-time, join panels
services. Jan is well-known in her role Gillian Harris, governor for the Sevenoaks or working groups – the choice
as occupational therapy assistant at borough, also had a sneak peek of the new is yours. Membership is open to
Faversham Cottage Hospital and alongside Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre, which anyone aged 14 years or over.
her new public governor colleagues, I know will be opening later this year. When you sign up to
is keen to represent the voice and views of “There was also time to reflect and become a member:
her constituents. celebrate as we joined the annual staff
“As the world opened up and settled awards event and heard the incredible • You get to have your say on local
into its new normal last year, we took the stories of how colleagues are going above NHS services.
opportunity to be out and about, meeting and beyond to provide excellent care and • You will get NHS discounts in
teams and services and speaking to people the difference volunteers make to KCHFT. high street stores, restaurants
at a number of community and public “On behalf of the Council, public and attractions.
health events. governor Alison Fisher attended a national • You will be kept up-to-date with
“One of the highlights of the year was our service of thanksgiving at Westminster
Winter Well event in Folkestone which brought Cathedral to celebrate 75 years of the NHS. improvements and changes to
local NHS services.
together a number of NHS and community “You can hear more about what we have
services to support more than 300 people to been up to, on behalf of our members, at Sign-up now at
stay well through the winter months. this year’s annual meeting: www.kentcht.nhs.uk/member or
“We know pressure on our emergency www.kentcht.nhs.uk/annual meeting.” you can complete the form on the
next page and send it back to our
Our new governors FREEPOST address.

A B C D E F

A Ashford Sarah Ansell, B Canterbury Chris Cornell, C Folkestone and Hythe Penny Shepherd MBE,
D Gravesham Lea Dehaney, E Swale Jide Odumade, F Staff governor for adult services Jan Harris.
Our Council of Governors is made up of five staff governors, 13 public governors and five appointed governors.
Find out who represents you and how to contact them: www.kentcht.nhs.uk/governors

www.kentcht.nhs.uk 27