I have been retired for 4 years and had been working in a charity shop in Romford.  When it closed, I applied to volunteer at Queens Hospital which has been one of the best things I have done.   I have been a volunteering at BHRUT for over 2 years.  I am a way finder across both hospital sites as well as a patient partner for out-patients.  I volunteer at the information desk at KGH interacting with patients and visitors in both outpatients and around the hospital.   I have been part of the patient partnership council for a year working as part of a great team in a very happy and enjoyable environment which I look forward each week.

In my spare time, I like to enjoy watching most sports, playing pool at the local RAFA club where we are top of the league. I previously enjoyed photography and developing my own pictures.

This Is Me: range of jobs in early work life ranging from accountancy, minimal people contact to TV and creating on air promotions, plenty of people contact. Eventually the people aspect became my thing so I went into teaching which led me into counselling and then mentoring students with mental health issues at university. Teaching / counselling involved elements of volunteering / placement hours so volunteering was almost normal for me and the experiences gained were invaluable.

Personal life events meant that almost overnight my world became one of hospitals, care homes and elderly care issues in general and so once I’d navigated my way through, without any form of satnav!, the role of Patient Partner for Care of the Elderly seemed a perfect fit. I’m passionate about elderly people and their experiences both lived experience, past , and their place in a society which is forever changing, present/ future. One of my mottos is courtesy of Soren Kierkegaard, philosopher, who said that ‘life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards’ and for me embraces both what was but also what is. I’m passionate about elderly care both now and in the future and I’m keen to encourage future elderly generations to be more proactive in their own health because 70 is the new 50 and people now have greater access to general health information. Practising what I preach,  I’ve always been into health and fitness and strongly believe in the notion of Move it or Lose it. I’m one of Havering’s health champions and I’m planning to qualify as a fitness instructor for over 65’s in August this year. I’m a huge fan of the TV show Greys  Anatomy and in times of doubt sometimes wonder, ‘What would Christina Yang do ?’. I’m also far too easily distracted by Twitter !

To finish, I’ll use another phrase from

my counselling theory courtesy of the person-centred guru Carl Rogers, which simply says that we are ‘always becoming ‘

In a very tiny nutshell, that’s me 

I came to be a patient at Queen's hospital in December 2016 when I was treated with a low grade brain tumour. My care and treatment from the team on Sahara B, which is under the Specialist Medicine division, was so wonderful that I took on the role of Patient Partner for the division so I could ensure that world class care is paramount throughout the service.

I have had 5 major operations. I have received wonderful treatment and care from the NHS.  As a member of the Patient Partnership Council, I have the opportunity to give something back to the NHS as a thank you and to make use of my experience and expertise as a patient.  I am Passionate about our NHS and strive to influence, shape and improve patient experience and be a voice for our patients.

In addition to being a member of the PPC, I am also member of the Cancer Patient and Public Advisory Group at BHRUT.  I also a member of the UCLH Cancer Collaborative Patient Experience & User Involvement Steering Group which covers an area incorporating 17 hospitals including BHRUT.

My professional background until I took early retirement was a 1^st Deputy Head teacher in a large secondary academy school for 4 day a week and acting Head teacher 1 day a week.

I am a nine-year survivor of cancer, having been treated at Queen’s Hospital. I am passionate about working together with staff in improving patient experience. In collaboration with staff and lay colleagues, I’m actively involved in the improvement journey the Trust is travelling, contributing to and supporting a diverse range of initiatives to help make things better for patients. This has included production of a cancer support film. I’m a member of the Patient Partnership Council with a remit for Cancer and Clinical Support.

I’m really passionate about maternity services after the birth of my son at BHR in 2012, and making sure that every women and family have the best experience at such a life changing time.  I’ve been involved in BHR’s maternity services since having my boy on and off in different roles, but I’m really excited now to be a patient partner.  I work full time, so I often do my volunteering in the evenings!

I live in Brentwood and have done so for 16 years. I retired from full-time employment in 2018 after devoting 29 years to the NHS. My roles were in support services including secretarial, health promotion, AIDS education, management, patient experience and progressing to the post of Associate Director – Communications for a mental health and community NHS Foundation Trust in Essex.

I am passionate about enhancing communication between clinicians, patients and their families thereby contributing to service improvement. I believe that my and my family’s personal experience of services at Queen’s Hospital, combined with my professional skills and knowledge, equip me to be a dedicated and approachable patient partner. I am a member of the Patient Partner Council as well as the Trust Education Group, ensuring that the patient’s voice is heard.

I am a mum and grandmother with two grandkids who live on Long Island in New York. I am a big music fan having worked in the record industry in New York and London for 10 years prior to joining the NHS.

I’m Head of Patient Experience in our Trust, with responsibility for patient experience, voluntary services, our bereavement team and Chaplaincy.

I’m aware that, every single day, our patients have a range of experiences of the services we provide. By listening to them and asking how we could do better, we have many opportunities to improve.

King George and Queen’s and hospitals are my local hospitals and I am passionate about continually improving the overall experience patients, relatives and carers have every time they come into contact with our Trust. We’re on a journey towards outstanding and I am very proud to be part of that.