Last month, we had the pleasure of sharing our highlights and impact from key projects in 2018/19 during our Annual General Meeting and Patient Showcase. It was an opportunity to showcase our work with various Healthwatch Essex Ambassadors and the importance of co-production; putting the patient voice at the heart of service design and delivery to help shape local health and social care services in Essex.
We announced exciting changes to the Healthwatch Essex Board:
Sam Glover, Dental Public Health Program Manager, Public Health England.
Sam has been appointed the new Chair of the Healthwatch Essex Board, replacing Leslie Lodge, who has served on the Board since 2017. Sam is welcomed in the position, applying over 18 years of social care experience in hospitals, community settings – both private and NHS – and primary/secondary care, with a keen focus on embedding lived experience into the community to help influence change. Sam said: “Being part of Healthwatch Essex means I have access to everyone’s stories and real lived experience and HWE provides me the platform to use the ammunition and experience we gather from the community of Essex to be in front of the STP – (Sustainable Transformation Partnership) – leads and change makers and say this is what people feel and this is what we should be doing.”
Amy Woolf, Chief Executive MS-UK.
Amy has extensive experience in the charity sector and is stepping up as Vice-Chair of the Board. Amy said: “I am delighted to be appointed as vice-Chair of Healthwatch Essex. I am proud to be a part of an organisation that promotes placing people’s experiences at the heart of the services that are there to support them. I look forward to supporting Sam Glover in her new role as Chair and continuing my work with the board and Chief Executive, David Sollis”.
In their new positions, Sam and Amy will be launching the new Healthwatch Essex 3-year strategy in April 2020, where alongside the public, staff and board members, they have identified priorities for the teams, including; expanding our Patient Partner programmes, research project on obesity and working with partners to deliver a model for collaboration with adults with an experience of disability.
We note the exceptional contribution of Leslie Lodge, a long-standing member of the Healthwatch Essex Board, who stood down as Chair of the Board. We are very grateful for all the support and guidance he has provided Healthwatch Essex in that time. He will continue in his role as Chair of HWE Insights Board; our sister company, enabling Healthwatch Essex to undertake high quality engagement, research and other activities on a commissioned basis. Les will bring his commercial expertise to help develop the Research and Engagement projects within HWE Insights and maximise the projects impact.