Council of Governor's election nominations open 22 September 2021
Our Trust is seeking Governors for a variety of important positions to represent patients, staff, partner organisations and the wider public. Nominations for the next elections will open on Wednesday 22 September 2021.
The Council of Governors is made up of elected and appointed people who are volunteers and are not paid. Our Governors have an important role in making sure our Trust is publicly accountable for the services 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.
The following positions will be up for election this year:
- 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)
And 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)
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.
Our Lead Governor, Claire Terry says: “One of the really great things about the Governors here at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s is that they are such a varied group of people from across the different constituencies and communities that the Trust serves. Our Governors have a wide range of professional and life experiences and are a wonderful mixture of people including teenagers and university students, professionals, stay at home parents and carers and retirees.”
Claire, who currently works as Legacy Transition Lead for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (a secondment from her usual role at Gowling WLG), adds: “If you are considering being a Governor, I would definitely say ‘give it a go’. It is a really important and interesting role and a great way to have an involvement in something that gives back to the Women, Children and families the Trust cares for and supports.”
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.
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)