Council of Governor’s Election Focus on Pam Stirrop, Birmingham and Solihull Public Governor
Nominations for our Council of Governors election close on Wednesday 20 October at 5pm. Our Governors have an important role in making sure our Trust is publicly accountable for the service it provides. They bring valuable perspectives and contributions to its activities, ensuring that both hospitals work well for patients, carers, staff and the general public.
Our Birmingham and Solihull Public Governor, Pam Stirrop said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time being a governor. It is very interesting to understand the workings and challenges faced by the Trust, the effect on both staff and patients and how they are dealt with.” 
Pam, who after a lifetime passion for health, exercise and wellbeing spent time working as a volunteer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital which in turn inspired her to apply to become a Governor for the Trust in November last year. She adds: “The opportunity to question a situation or decision is an opportunity a governor has and with all governors looking at things from different perspectives makes for very interesting meetings. We all want to make sure decisions made are best for all concerned; staff, patients and their families and it is a pleasure to be part of this.”
The Council of Governors is made up of elected and appointed people who are volunteers and are not paid. No special skills are needed to be a Governor. The most important part of the role is to have a passion for representing the interests of people who use or work in the NHS and to be committed to our Trust values of being Ambitious, Brave and Compassionate.
Pam, who was recently appointed as Lead Governor and will take over from our current lead at the end of October says: “We are from all walks of life, with different interests, so I would say to any prospective applicant, if you are interested, ‘go for it’, all you need is enthusiasm and an interest in making sure decisions made are fully considered and are the best for all concerned.”
The following positions are up for election:
- BCH Patient Governor (x2)
- Carer of Patient at BCH Governor (x1)
- Patient or Carer of Patient at BWH Governor (x1)
- Midwife Governor (x1)
- Mental Health Governor (x1)
The following current Governors are also up for re-election:
- Nurse Governor (x1)
- Birmingham and Solihull Public Governor (x1)
- Rest of the West Midlands Public Governor (x2)
We ask Governors to commit to around three hours every month to the position, mainly in the evening, and be available to attend four formal council meetings a year. No experience is necessary – full support, guidance and training are given by our Company Secretary team. The term length for each position is three years. For further details, the Notice of Election can be downloaded here: Notice of Election 2021.pdf [pdf] 359KB
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All nominations should be received by 5pm on Wednesday 20 October 2021.
For more information on our Council of Governors visit our dedicated section on our website here: https://bwc.nhs.uk/our-governors
If you would like more information on the positions available, the election process, or for an informal chat please contact our Foundation Trust Office by email bwc.foundationtrustoffice@nhs.net or by calling 0121 333 8433 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 4.30pm)