Governors

I have lived in Stonehouse for over 35 years. Prior to moving to Gloucestershire I was a whole time fireman with the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. I moved to Gloucestershire and started my Registered Mental Health Nurse Training. On qualifying I worked at Coney Hill Hospital, Wotton Lawn and at Park House in Stroud. After retiring I worked as a mental health nurse part-time at a large comprehensive school in Gloucester for 8.5 years, seeing students from 11-18 years of age.
I enjoy rugby, watching both Gloucester Rugby and my son play. I enjoy partaking in walking hockey and walking rugby locally to try and keep some level of fitness. .I am now in my seventh year as a Trustee for GARAS and I also volunteer for several other charities. I am still involved with Unison GDHC Branch, both as a retired member and in auditing their accounts. I also am a welcomer and do readings at my local church

I live just outside Eastington with my partner, Max, and our 3 beloved dogs; Max is a Gloucestershire boy and having worked across the country the call of Gloucester Rugby Club proved too strong and we relocated 9 years ago. I’m from a military family, born in Portsmouth, and have lived in Malta and various places in the UK; I was educated in Surrey. I have spent my entire career in health and social care in a wide variety of settings and for the last 15 years I have owned a health & social care management consultancy working across England, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; my company is also an approved supplier to the United Arab Emirates. I have written several major reports including a research piece on the impact of COVID19 on frontline NHS staff which was commissioned by the NHS Clinical Leaders Network and I worked with them to develop their Digital Action Learning Set which was shortlisted for an HSJ Award in 2021.

My work currently focuses on patient safety and I have recently finished working with Swindon Borough Council training their public health nursing teams on After Action Reviews.

I am a Safeguarding Governor for Hopelands Prep School in Stonehouse – a role I have held since 2018. I am a Non-Exec Director for Milestones Trust, a Bristol based charity that focuses on supporting those with a learning disability or profound and enduring mental health issues. I am Chair of Age UK Gloucestershire and have a keen interest in the healthcare of our older population in our county. I am currently studying with the University of Manchester on a post-grad certificate in healthcare law and when I’m not working I am a keen walker (just as well with 3 dogs!), amateur photographer and baker.

I run a Suicide Crisis Centre where we support people experiencing a suicidal crisis. This has been my focus for the past decade. I am passionate about my work and am deeply committed to suicide prevention.

In my free time I love spending time close to nature, and walking in nature. I also love writing.

My current experience of psychiatric services is very positive. But my past experiences have not always been positive and I have not always received kind care. I also experienced a notifiable safety incident that was harmful to me. As a result, I want to help ensure that all patients receive kind, safe and helpful care that meets their individual needs. Additionally, the charity I run has been involved in research into deaths by suicide, which involves attending inquests. I applied to be a Governor at this time to try to help prevent future patient deaths – particularly inpatient deaths.
Prior to running the charity, I was a full-time carer for a family member.

Hello! My name is Leighton-Lee, and I’m proud to serve as a Public Governor for Gloucester, the city I’ve called home my entire life. My professional background is in Children’s Commissioning for the local authority, where I focus on short breaks for disabled children—a role that allows me to support families and ensure children receive the care and opportunities they deserve.

I’m deeply passionate about politics and governance, which naturally aligns with both my professional and public service roles. Within my job, I also contribute to the governance function of the Children & Families Commissioning Hub, helping to shape and oversee services that impact young lives across our community.

Outside of work, I enjoy engaging in discussions around policy, community development, and how governance can be a force for positive change.

Hello! I’m Amy Aitken, and I have been working within the NHS since February 2021. I have a BSc degree in Food with Nutrition and I am extremely passionate about preventative healthcare. I currently work within GHC’s Partnership Team as a Locality Inclusion Lead and cover the following localities – Stroud & Berkley Vale, Cotswolds and Cheltenham. My role involves working alongside a wide range of stakeholders and engaging with diverse community groups to help tackle health inequalities. I work closely alongside GHC’s Experts by Experience Programme too.

I am genuinely passionate about inspiring and encouraging others to speak up, while advocating for those who are often under-represented. I actively support GHC’s Staff Networks and have previously been the Rainbow Network Chair. I applied for the Staff Governor role because I am passionate about engaging with all staff in a meaningful way, as I know how valuable it is to have strong staff voices.

Colleagues describe me as a kind, genuine and resilient individual who has a strong moral compass. I am a natural networker, who can communicate effectively across a wide range of contacts, and I am able to adapt my approach to best fit different situations. I am truly passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion; and working together in partnership with the voluntary sector and system partners, to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. I am settled in Gloucestershire and hope to have a long-lasting career within the NHS. I am also privileged to have a voluntary role, as a Board Trustee with Inclusion Gloucestershire.

I qualified from King’s College London in 2008 with a BDS and a BSC in Biomaterials, and have since gained a breadth of experience working across different areas within dentistry, including oral and maxillofacial surgery and general dentistry. I take the lead for domiciliary, elderly and dementia dental care within the dental service, and I have a real passion to reduce dental health inequalities for this cohort of the population. I have therefore recently undertaken a Masters in Dental Public Health, Policy and Leadership at Queen Mary’s University, London, where I focussed on understanding the current oral health pathways and understanding the barriers and facilitators to oral care for people living with dementia in Gloucestershire. I have also recently been appointed an a Core20PLUS Ambassador for NHS England to further my work in this area.

When I am not working, I am a single parent to my 8-year-old son William. We love spending time together whether that’s walking our new puppy Buzz, reading a book or competing with each other in laser tag! And when I am not being a parent I am a keen Bollywood dancer and love performing, although these days you will find me dancing in my kitchen after a stressful day!

Our staff members play a vital role in GHC and our input and voices should be shared with the Governing body. I know how important the role of clinical staff is, and it is really important to me that their experiences and especially those of dental are heard, as they are a very small speciality in a large Trust.