Headlines 2025

Governor spotlights

Governor spotlights

My biggest challenge is to inspire care providers to ask patients about their caregiving roles at the beginning and end of their journey to address the needs of patients who are also carers. I have also been championing a culture where carers are as central to patient care as patients themselves. as a member of a Black and other minority group, I advocate for equity, recognising the benefits of ethnicity, diversity, and inclusion in reducing health inequalities. Health and care services should be sufficient for everyone, including marginalised groups such as young and older people and carers - Informing and reviewing policies, procedures, and different strategies. - Staff recognition and recruitment activities. - Patient lead assessment of care environment. What do you do as a governor? As a governor, I actively participate in all matters relating to the Council of Governors, supporting Trust governance, holding non-executive directors to account, and ensuring that patients and their carers are major stakeholders in every plan and strategy of the Trust. I have been involved in several projects and activities, including: - Carers forums and informing carers grand rounds to support patient carers as well as staff members who are juggling working with caring responsibilities. - Various focus groups with different topics.

what do you get out of it? I like participating in a platform that ensures healthcare professionals consider patients and their families in all aspects of care planning, designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating. It is important to maximize participation and engagement of patients, carers, and the public to influence decisions and feel empowered Whilst it has never been about me, I just think someone needs to carry the torch to shed the light on the needs, preferences and aspirations of patient and carers, if not me, then who? and if not now, then when? minorities to seek help in A&E as a last resort when their condition worsened. As a patient, I experienced ineffective communication between healthcare professionals, and like many carers, I faced minimal recognition and lack of support for my health and wellbeing. Carers contribute significantly to the NHS yet remain largely unidentified and unrecognised. Why did you want to become a governor? All individuals will require care at some point, whether due to a condition affecting the body, mind, or soul, or due to cancer. Quality care is a shared expectation, and it is important to participate in protecting this right. As someone affected by cancer from a seldom reached group, I observed that there are challenges in securing health appointments, accessing care, or referrals for specialist consultations or treatment, which often leads

Michael Molete, Public Governor, Manchester

What is your role? I am a public governor for

Reasons for becoming a governor: as a patient champion, I am passionate about elevating patients’ voices so that plans, designs, or implementations include their input. Patients and their families know what matters most regarding their care, therefore ensuring the success of this initiatives is always in my mind as a carer ambassador, I promote compassion for carers, who often juggle caring responsibilities with their personal lives, often with negative impact to their health and wellbeing. I am advocating that they should be recognised, identified, and supported to continue their caregiving roles with ease Manchester, and I am a governor member in the patient safety and experience committee which ensures quality care and promotes the experience of people affected by cancer.

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