It's been a strange couple of years to be part of a board or a council of governors in the NHS. The pandemic has had several presentations, bringing different governance challenges. These have included: The unknown. In the early phase [...]
Following a bit of Twitter commentary and a revamped article from ACEVO for Chief Executives on leading in challenging times (http://www.acevo.org.uk/member_briefings/tips-for-leading-in-challenging-times/) I want to share some reflections about us Chairs and what we can – and should not – bring [...]
I’ve led a wide range of service user involvement over the last 30 years, as strategic lead for service user involvement in national charities and by working with patient and public voice organisations including the National Association for Patient Participation [...]
Flying to New York because of the death of a dear friend must rank as one of the worst reasons to go. Five years ago, I was flying out there because a dear friend of mine, John Falkenberg, had died. [...]
I remember quite a bit from when I first became a Board member and when I first became a Chair. One of my stronger memories is of my intent to learn from my own experience of other leaders – not [...]
I’ve been vegetarian for over thirty years. I think it is fair to say that for a good many of them, I wasn’t much good in the kitchen! In part, this was a lack of confidence; in part, a lack [...]
I recently had the pleasure of chairing a day with Governors from a number of NHS Foundation Trusts, sharing experiences about their roles, and helping facilitate some joint learning. I found myself thinking about some of the factors that help [...]
The phrase “We’ll learn the lessons from…” is often used. Whether in national politics, in the aftermath of disasters, in the wake of a failure in a local service, after accidents, or when things just plain go wrong, there is [...]
As part of my way of getting through the stay-at-home requirements of covid-19, I am playing through all my classical music. It's a way for me to connect to some music I've not listened to in a while, but also [...]
First published by NHS Providers, January 2017 Governors are fundamental to Foundation Trusts. They bring an explicit connection to the communities we serve, and provide Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and Boards with an essential reference point and check and balance on [...]