Who's who

Jean Arrowsmith

I completed my nurse training at Warwick Hospital and over the years have maintained my full commitment to South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust. More recently I have enjoyed my role of hospital Governor working to help ensure that the care provided is the ‘best it can be’.

I believe that the Governor role is important in helping to ensure that the community are represented fully at all levels. During my time I have been Chair of the Patient Care Committee; a member of the Clinical Governance Committee where senior clinicians discuss important strategic and clinical issues; served as a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee tasked with providing assurance in terms of recruitment and appraisal of the Trust Chair and Non-Executive Board. I regularly attend the monthly Board meetings and Governor development sessions.

I have enjoyed a varied clinical career that has included Ward Sister, Research and Development Nurse and Clinical Effectiveness Manager in both Coventry and Rugby Hospitals always focusing on ensuring that care is the best it can be. I currently work for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services helping them to develop services targeted at the most vulnerable; helping to keep people safe from harm and living independently in their own home. I have really enjoyed my role of hospital Governor and hope to remain as a Governor and continue the important role of providing assurance and a voice for our local community.

Michael Coker

I had the privilege of being elected as a foundation Governor in 2009 and then served on the governing body for some seven years but did not stand for re-election in 2016 as a result of pressure of other duties. During that time, I was Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and helped to appoint the Chairman and Directors of the Trust throughout that period.

I practiced locally as a Solicitor throughout my carer and also served as HM Coroner for Warwickshire for some 25 years in total, as well a serving as a District and Town Councillor in Kenilworth for many years. I believe this varied experience and knowledge of the local area should be of value to the Trust.

Further, I now know that I will have the time available that the post of Governor requires and would love to have the privilege of giving that time to the Trust, which provides one, if not the most important service in our area. We are all fortunate to have a good hospital service within our district and I would wish to give such support as I am able to maintain that good and efficient care.

Patricia Scott

I have been an Elected Public Governor for Warwickshire District and Borders of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust for over four years. It has been an immensely interesting period of my life. The amount of work that goes on behind the scenes at the Trust was a surprise, and reassurance to me. It has been a period of continual learning as change in the NHS is happening constantly.

As part of my role as a Governor, I have become aware that some older people, and those who cannot or do not wish to embrace modern technology can unwittingly be ignored. I endeavour to raise awareness of this through the various Committees I am a member of, as well as via the Council of Governors.

Living in Kenilworth, and having connections with several local groups, I am able to get useful feedback for the Trust.

Carolyn Pickering

My family and I have lived in Leamington since 1977. Our children grew up here and went to local schools. Therefore, I have close connections with the community, town and area. I am a retired Solicitor, and at one time had a practice in Leamington, from which I offered services to clients mainly in family and criminal law proceedings, along with some civil litigation and conveyancing.

I had connections with Bath Place and the Citizens Advice Bureau for some years, where I gave free advice on any issue that was presented to me. I have been a volunteer at a Homeless Shelter, and then a trustee of a Housing Project in Coventry.

My family and I have benefitted from the provision of medical advice and treatment from the local NHS services. This has been much appreciated, and I would like to share this experience in order to be of service to the Trust and to members of the public, to assist the Trust in its provision of local services and its communication with members of the Trust.

Ruth Cowan

I became a Governor of South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust in 2010 and during that time the Trust has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most respected in the country. I am proud to be a Governor representing the voice of the people of Leamington and Warwick.

My time spent as Governor includes attending monthly meetings with the Non-Executive Directors prior to Board meetings, quarterly Round Table events with the Board and fellow Governors and sitting on the Patient Care and Food for Life Committees.

What is important in the Governor role is being a conduit between you the users of our service and the staff and management team. Putting your views and ideas as how the Trust is performing and how things could be changed or improved. The Trust has taken on the challenge of running the Community Service and this will greatly improve the health and social care in the county. I look forward to continuing my work with the Trust.

Jane Knight

I feel qualified to take on the responsibility of being a Governor because of my wide experience of governing organisations. In many cases I have been Chair of the governing bodies on which I have served. For example, I have been Chair of Warwick District Council (WDC), the WDC Finance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, Shrubland St. School Governors, member of WDC Health Scrutiny Committee, and member and Chair of various community organisations. I have been a Governor at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust for over four years.

I have initiated many new community activities such as Leamington Peace Festival and the 42 year friendship link with Bo in Sierra Leone, which includes health links. I have worked for over 17 years as an OXFAM campaigner, and then worked internationally promoting development partnerships between local councils and communities in Africa, India, Chile and Japan. Since 2003 I have served on Children’s Centres’ Strategic Advisory Group.

Through my council work I have been closely involved with the development of various programmes, such as the WDC Leisure Centres, Pump Room Gardens and Newbold Comyn, and the building of Sayer Court (sheltered flats for the elderly).

Around 2014, I had cancer and meningitis and had pancreatitis before that. I was looked after by staff at Warwick Hospital and was so impressed with the professional expertise and wonderful care provided. I am now in perfect health.

My greatest delight is my family of 5 sons and 15 grandchildren. Retiring from the Council, means I can take on being a Public Governor.

Sir John Egan

I have a wealth of experience which I would like to bring to the needs of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. I had ten years’ experience as Chief Executive of Jaguar Cars and another ten years as Chief Executive of BAA the airport company, bringing both up to a good state of performance. I have served as Chairman of Severn Trent, Inchape and Vice Chairman of Legal and General, all were successful. I also served on numerous other Boards as a Non-Executive. I was Chancellor of Coventry University for ten years. I have helped write, as Chairman, a number of government reports including 'Rethinking Construction' and 'Skills in Creating Sustainable Communities', both of use to the NHS.

Roger Lloyd

I have lived in the area for over 45 years and have always used Warwick Hospital (A&E, Oncology and Cardio Care) when the need has arisen for my family and myself. I believe in the NHS, which clearly needs help from its users to develop in a manner which continues to serve the wider community delivering the services which they need. My experience as a Lawyer for more than 40 years with more than 12 years in the public sector enables me to understand the environment in which the NHS Trust operate. I am fully retired and able to devote all the necessary time to the role of Governor.

As a Governor I have attended:

• Board meetings
• Audit Committee as an observer
• Council of Governors meetings
• General Purposes Committee meetings

I worked on the Project Board responsible for the building of the new staff multi-storey car park at Warwick. I am now on the Wayfinding Strategy Group seeking to improve the signage and navigation around the various Trust sites for patients, staff and visitors. I am also on the Patient Portal Engagement Forum (known as MyCare in Warwickshire) providing a digital access to appointment and other communications between the Trust and its patients. These have given me a good understanding of the workings of South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and the role and performance of the Non-Executive Directors. With your assistance, I hope to be able to continue being an advocate for the community. I have in the past brought issues / concerns raised with me to the attention of the Chairman / Chief Executive / Executive Directors for action and comment.

Mary Malloy

My 37 years working in the NHS has given me extensive experience of hospital and primary care services and management. This includes strategy, service improvement, cost effectiveness, governance and training. I wish to use my knowledge and understanding to benefit South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT).

I held Senior Clinical Pharmacy posts in teaching hospitals for 20 years followed by Senior Management posts in a Primary Care Trust. I have experience of supporting GPs, community services, social care and public health. I have been a nursing home inspector and was a Director of Warwickshire Care Services which operates 12 care homes.

During my time as Governor, I have served as Lead Governor, I have devoted many hours to the Council of Governors and other key strategy meetings. I have served as Chair of the General Purposes Committee and sat on Appointments and Patient Care Committees. I attend Board meetings and meet regularly with the Chairman raising my own and constituents’ concerns.

My family have lived in Stratford for over 26 years, so I know local NHS services well. I supported the Stratford Hospital development and will continue to listen to constituents and promote best possible services for Stratford residents.

As a Governor I am committed to putting patients first, seeking assurances on quality and availability of health services, and to the success of SWFT. I am passionate about maintaining NHS principles within an integrated publicly funded and provided NHS. I have the experience, time and dedication to continue to commit fully to the Governor role.

Mike Flaxman

I am a Chartered Public Finance Accountant and have worked in various senior roles for and with the National Health Service since 1975. I have over 47 years continuing commitment to the service, whatever shape it has taken. My last NHS staff post in 1990 was as Finance and Information Director of Central Birmingham Health Authority. My passion for the development and improvement of the NHS has not diminished since then and I remain committed to trying to improve the NHS wherever and whenever possible. I have been a Board Director of Warwickshire HealthWatch since 2013.

David Gee

I have been a Governor of the Trust ever since its beginning, so have a wealth of experience which will be invaluable when facing the challenges ahead. During this time, I have fully supported South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust which is now one of the top-performing Trusts in the whole of the UK.

However, during this time I have not hesitated to question, ensuring that patient’s interests are always taken into consideration. I was an active member of the Project Team for the new Stratford Hospital which is now providing a greatly improved service to local residents, and I will continue to fully support all future developments within the local area. With increasing demands and never enough money, the future holds increasing challenges for the whole of the NHS. I am a strong supporter of the NHS which my family have used extensively over the years. Using my long experience, I will continue to fully support the NHS and best care for all local residents.

Mike Wells, Lead Governor effective from 1 December 2023

I am a retired IT Project Manager who has lived in Shipston-on-Stour for over 20 years and in South Warwickshire for 30 years. I have 35 years of experience in the delivery of IT to businesses ranging from Automotive to the NHS, including the Trust, to Government departments. I have been a Governor of the Trust since April 2018.

As a recipient of the Trust’s services, I have always been delighted with my interactions with the staff and the outcomes they have achieved for me. However, I am aware that this is not the case for everyone and the issues I hear most commonly relate to people in more complex situations that require both the Trust and external agencies to work together. For these people the whole patient journey is often, for a variety of reasons, disjointed and I hope to help the Trust to lead on building a more complete and integrated Service across all the agencies.

As a Governor I have attended public meetings gaining a better understanding of the requirements of the local population and then use this in Trust meetings. I am a member of the Ellen Badger Hospital redevelopment Project Team and Board where I use my local knowledge to help the team working on this exciting redevelopment. I attend the monthly Trust Board meetings and the Business Oversight Committee as well as attending regular Governor meetings.

Andy Petros

Having worked in the NHS for almost 40 years I appreciate how important it is to get services working efficiently to deliver first rate care to patients. As a Governor I have the opportunity to contribute to the Trust Management Team and have oversight of current and future plans. It is my aim to feedback to the Trust any concerns from residents of East Stratford and Borders and also examples of positive experiences.

Dr Cally Harrison

Cally Harrison has a clinical, academic and managerial background and lengthy experience in the NHS. After working for different Trusts around the country (primary/community services and secondary care), Cally felt that one of the best ways to improve and maintain high standards of care locally was to become a Foundation Trust Governor.

Cally believes that as it has been shown by many national and international think tanks, quality should be the organising principle of any credible healthcare organisation, hence she would like to use her knowledge, skills and expertise to ensure that the local NHS continues to successfully serve its patients.

Being of a mixed ethnic background, Cally also has a strong interest in ensuring that all patients, carers, staff members, and partners do feel valued and are treated with integrity, honesty, fairness, empathy, compassion and respect. Cally has been a Public Governor since July 2012 and she believes this role has given her the opportunity to participate and constructively contribute to a number of Committees and Forums around a variety of issues from performance, governance and finance to IT innovation projects, partnership working/pathway redesigns within the local health economy and patient involvement initiatives.

Cally has also attended, alongside other Governors, numerous training and development accredited courses and fed back to the Council of Governors and the Trust Board. Cally believes that the NHS needs to reform to deliver on multiple challenges and for this to happen staff at all levels need to embrace multidisciplinary team working, subsidiarity and consistency.

Graham Nuttall

Sharon Elswood - Non-Clinical Support

I have been employed by the Trust since June 2005 and as you would expect, I have seen a lot of changes during this period. I started here part time as a Coordinator with The League of Friends. My current position is Volunteer Services Manager at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and my duties include the recruitment, retention and management of volunteers.

Volunteer numbers have increased hugely over the years, supporting the staff and patients and increased services here at SWFT including the community. Volunteers are highly valued and essential to the Trust, we were able to diversify our services during the pandemic to maintain support across all sites and the Community, continuing still.

A particular strength of mine is building strong relationships across the whole Trust at all levels and with external charities such as Kissing It Better, Age UK Community Groups. I sit on PEG and Equality & Diversity groups. I am approachable, bomb proof and used to dealing with confidential information. I am passionate about supporting the patients and staff here, as a volunteer myself and I am an active Committee Member of The League of Friends of Warwick Hospital. I strongly believe in our Trust values and hope that I can and do make life and work a good place to be and to be a strong advocate for those people who may not feel they have a voice to be heard. I believe in honesty and integrity and respect for everyone to be treated fairly.

Sue Warner - Nursing and Midwifery, Community

Kathy Wagstaff - Nursing and Midwifery, Acute

I have been employed at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) since 2009 firstly as a Matron and now as Clinical Lead Nurse for Central England Rehabilitation Unit (CERU). I am passionate about providing safe, effective, compassionate nursing care to all our patients. Although this is not my local hospital, I do have family that live in the area that use our services and I feel it is important to feel proud of SWFT and the services we offer. I feel it is paramount that our patients have a voice into the services they require, want and use and I feel that I could bring my experience and skills to the role.

Emma Colegate - Nursing and Midwifery, Acute

Dr Bernhard Usselmann - Medical and Dental

I have worked in the Trust for over 20 years as a Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist. During this time, I have interacted with colleagues in all departments and I think I can represent the views of medical and dental staff to Trust management and the local population, I have held the position of Royal College Tutor, Chair of the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, Associate Director for Technology and most recently that of Clinical Director for Gastroenterology within the Trust.

Vacancy - Nursing and Midwifery, Community

Vacancy - Clinical Support

Cllr John Holland – Warwickshire County Council

Sophie Black – University of Warwick

Cllr Liz Coles - Stratford District Council

Cllr Jim Sinnott - Warwick District Council