I was born in Bradford. I was a nurse and a midwife. I completed all my training at BRI. After qualifying I also worked at the BRI and other healthcare settings. These roles gave me a breadth of experience within acute hospital environments.
I made a career change and undertook a law degree before moving into the legal sector. In 2018, I completed Masters in Education at Bradford College. I currently work within the civil service and my role includes training staff new to the sector.
I have worked with various members of the community throughout Yorkshire which is a richly diverse county.
So, what is the relevance of all this information?
I firmly believe that the NHS is essential to providing care that addresses inequalities in health and should therefore reflect the demography of the community it serves.
My experience as a carer motivated me to apply to become a governor. I truly understand the need for service users to have a ‘voice’ that advocates on their behalf. I strongly believe that all service users need to feel they are being heard and treated with respect.
My nursing and midwifery experience has helped me to understand the importance of holistic and individualised care. No two service users are the same. Nor do all services users present with ‘typical’ symptoms of common medical conditions.
Finally, I am aware of the challenges the hospital trust and the NHS face. However, I hope as an elected governor to be part of helping to improve service users experiences through collaborative, transparent and, above all, accountable work.
Some of the things I enjoy are swimming, reading and a generous slice of Victoria sponge!