New lead and deputy lead governors have been appointed at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC).
Carole Woodman has taken over from Jane Smith as Lead Governor and Linda Radcliffe will replace Keith Amey as Deputy Lead Governor.
Carole is a Public Governor for Copeland and Linda is a Public Governor for Allerdale.
Carole said: “It's a privilege to have been elected by my fellow governors as Lead Governor; my focus will be on developing strong partnerships with our staff, members and local communities to enable us to shape the healthcare system we need for the future.”
Linda said: “I thank my fellow governors for their confidence in me to represent them; and the hard work governors put in to their commitment to our NHS Trust moving forward. I shall do my best to represent governors/staff collective views and ideas for a Trust NHS future based on our values.”
The role of a governor involves helping shape the future of the Trust and the services it runs. Governors bring valuable insights and experiences to our services and ensure that the NHS is accountable to its local population.
Former lead governor Jane Smith said: “I have enjoyed every day of my 10 years as a Staff Governor and Lead Governor for about six of these years.
“I feel honoured to have been able to share the views of staff and communities with the Board and to explain what it feels like to deliver our services or to receive care from us.
“I have worked with many different Boards, members of staff and stalwarts of the community and am always in awe at the enthusiasm and dedication each shows.
“Public governors sacrifice the most as they are missing out on family time to come and join us as a Governors Council.
“We have been through many exciting developments and challenging times; none more so than now. It is the courage and professionalism of all staff and volunteers which shines through again and again.
“I am proud to be a member of staff at NCIC and hope to dedicate more time helping the Trust deliver the best experience possible for staff, patients and carers.
“I congratulate Carole and Linda on being elected Lead and Deputy Lead Governors. I have known both for many years and am sure they will bring a new perspective and passion for all of our services and in all of our communities.
“The council is a democratic body and so this is a huge thank you to each and every governor who gives so much of themselves trying to get better care for others. They are an inspirational group who I will greatly miss.”
Former deputy lead governor Keith Amey said: “Jane and I worked well together as Lead and Deputy Lead Governors. Despite our very different backgrounds (Jane’s in healthcare and mine in industry) there was energising chemistry between us and our skills were complementary.
“NHS governor roles, such as the ones Jane and I held, allow their occupants a privileged insight into the inner workings of a Foundation Trust and also enable them to develop a rapport with the Board members.
“We tried to develop and adapt the Governors’ Council Peri-Covid whilst keeping a strategic eye on the big picture, which will see the increasing influence of our two Integrated Care Systems (ICS).
“It is not always easy to leave enjoyable roles like this, but both Jane and I hope Carole and Linda will prove to be a valuable injection of new blood. We offer our support and wish them well.”
Peter Scott, Chair of NCIC, said: “We would like to thank Jane and Keith for their valuable contribution to shaping the role of governors in the Trust and we wish them well.”
If you would like to get in touch with your local governor please contact the Corporate Governance Team by email AskYourGovernor@ncic.nhs.uk or phone 01228 603761.