Council of Governors – Who is your governor?
There are 26 seats on MKUH’s Council of Governors.
15 governors are elected by our Foundation Trust’s public, patient or carer members and seven are elected by staff members. There are also four appointed governors who are nominated by stakeholders such as the local authority, or other organisations or groups.
There are two types of governors: Staff Governors and Public Governors.
► Staff Governors
For Doctors and Dentists
- Vacant
For Nurses and Midwives
- Vacant
- Tracy Rea [email protected]
I have been the Bereavement Midwife here at MKUH since 2008. I feel passionate about the care we provide to families but also the care and support we provide staff. I am a strong believer that, if staff feel nurtured, they will return this by nurturing the patients. My role is challenging; however, I meet some amazing people along the way. I work closely with the early pregnancy assessment unit, the gynaecological ward, maternity, the neonatal unit, chaplaincy, and the mortuary. I also am the lead for maternity for the Child Death Overview Panel and the lead reporter for MBRRACE and PMRT. These are national reports where we assess the care, we provide families and learn nationally from each hospital, to enable use to learn and improve our care. As a governor, I look forward to building relationships with staff and our community and have a voice for them all.
For scientists, technicians and allied health professionals
- Yolanda Potter [email protected]
I have worked at MKUH in Histopathology for four years. I started as an ATO and have progressed to an Associate Practitioner. I really enjoy working in Pathology; it can be very busy but rewarding too. Whilst working at MKUH I have started doing Harvey’s Gang tours. Harvey’s Gang is a charity that enables our young patients to come and be a Biomedical Scientist for the day and see what happens to their samples. This is to reduce their anxiety over coming into the hospital and having to wait for results. I love giving lab tours and helping patients, staff and the public see what we do in Pathology. In my spare time I enjoy playing softball, watching rugby and volunteering. I am very grateful to have been elected to the Council of Governors and I am excited to work together to support our hospital.
For non-clinical staff groups e.g. admin & clerical, estates, finance, HR, management
- Emma Isted [email protected]
I am a single mother from Bedfordshire. Previously I have owned two dancing schools and worked in education for over twenty years. Having made the decision to leave teaching during the first lockdown, I found myself working at MKUH from August 2020, in the admissions team. I thoroughly enjoy working at the hospital, serving the community, and I look forward to extending this service in my role as a governor. In my spare time, I play in a brass band, love crochet and crafting, taking my dog for walks and watching Formula 1 or rugby with my son.
- Pirran Salter [email protected]
I started working at MKUH in 2008 as a Clinical Support Worker in the Pathology Support Unit. I then moved to be an Associate Practitioner in Haematology & Blood Transfusion where I spent the next 8 years. Since 2017 I’ve been the Pathology Systems Manager & Quality Support Analyst, managing all the IT systems we rely on in Pathology. I really enjoy working in Pathology. It’s a challenging role but greatly rewarding. I am very excited to have been elected to the council of governors and look forward to working with everyone.
- Stevie Jones [email protected]
I began my career at MKUH as an Outpatient Receptionist in 2007, and after five years I moved to the Medical Records Department as a Medical Records Clerk. I wanted to be more hands-on with caring for people, so I became an Adult Health and Social Care Worker for Milton Keynes Council before returning to MKUH to become a typist for the Central Typing Hub. I progressed to working with the Patient Access before moving on to the Elective Care Systems and Training Team where I began my role as a Support Officer and have loved helping and seeing the people I support to develop and grow.
I am passionate about helping people and our patients are at the forefront of everything I do, and I have a special interest in customer care and strive to deliver exceptional training to the Trust, for our patients to receive a second-to-none service. I decided to stand for the Admin and Clerical staff governor position as I work closely with varied teams across the Trust and felt I would provide a familiar, approachable face that would be a valuable representation for these staff groups.
I have two children a daughter of 19 who is currently at university in her second year, and a son of 9 who keeps me on my toes on a day-to-day basis. I love crafting and my free time is spent making homemade cards.
I started my legal career at the independent Bar and in 2004 was given a great opportunity to work in-house in local government as an employed barrister. I have worked within the public sector for over 15 years, leading legal and democratic services teams. I have taken a step away from management, just concentrating on the law, which enables me to spend more time with my family. I became a Public Governor in late 2019, a month or so before I gave birth to my daughter at the hospital. My experience prior to becoming a governor was simply as a service user. I stood for election because the hospital had done so much for me and my family, and I wanted to get involved and do my bit to help in its functioning. I was a social and community worker in Northern Ireland until 1986, when I moved to Milton Keynes to work for the Development Corporation. In MKDC I led a social development team that worked with colleagues in other statutory and voluntary organisations to develop MK’s social infrastructure, including the health, education, social and other community services required to meet the needs of a growing population. I am a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, former director of the UK’s largest mental health charity, Chief Executive of a membership disability charity, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive of a major voluntary sector provider of substance misuse treatment services. As an experienced and innovative voluntary sector leader, I have particular expertise in stakeholder engagement, social value analysis and change management. Currently a charity management consultant and trustee of a number of local and national charities, I have well developed senior leadership, corporate governance and risk management skills and am keen to sustain work with all of the Trust’s stakeholders to ensure that our services, structure and working relationships are fit for purpose and the future. I have a degree in philosophy and a Postgraduate Diploma in Information Management, I am also a qualified management and executive coach. I moved to Giffard Park with my husband over 25 years ago and worked in a range of industries before starting in healthcare as a practice manager for a GP surgery. I then worked at MKUH for over 12 years before retiring at the end of 2019. I am a Managing Security Consultant with over 30 years’ experience. I have a great drive for success and achievement, have won several international awards and have worked in many parts of the world. I easily relate with people of diverse cultures from multicultural settings. I consulted for the European Union Institutions for almost six years while concurrently serving as the CISO of other consulting companies in the UK. My childhood dream was to be a medical doctor. I love caring for people and am passionate about people’s needs being met. I don’t like seeing people suffer, hence I go the extra mile to support where I can. Incidentally, I now care for people in a different way as a Cyber Security Consultant. I stood for election and became a Governor in March 2020 because I believe I can support the good work being done both from my professional and personal perspectives. I want to be a voice for my constituency and be able to air the views of many who use the hospital services. My expectation is to support the Board of Governors and the Trust as much as I can to achieve the laudable goals of patient care. I have been committed to health services, vulnerable people during and after my career from the elderly to children and I possess the knowledge and commitment to help make a difference to the great work undertaken by MKUH. I have been a Non-Executive Member of the Board of Luton & Dunstable Foundation Hospital and a member / Chair of various committees. I have held various Non-Executive Director positions including with MK Community Health Services NHS. I am well versed in the skills of corporate governance both in the public, voluntary and private sectors. I am able to offer a combination of management, administration, change management, audit knowledge and skills together with extensive professional experience, qualification and skills across a wide range of disciplines and activities. As a Chief Executive and Chief Officer in the public, private and voluntary sectors, I acquired the abilities to think strategically and understand complex issues. I started my career in project and programme management in telecommunications industry, which morphed from delivering technical projects to leading and embedding strategic and transformational change ones. Now, as a Chartered Project Professional and Fellow of APM, I use my experience in the transport sector, focusing on improving the ways of working and enabling better business outcomes. Prior to becoming a Public Governor of MKUH in 2022, I had very little exposure to the inner workings of Milton Keynes University Hospital. My husband’s recent health scare changed that and ignited the desire to get involved and help the Trust where I can. I am a partner with a well known regional firm of solicitors. I have been a solicitor for 20 years and I specialise in employment law, and from time to time represent clients at inquest hearings before the Coroner’s Court. I became a governor in 2016 as a governor appointed by Milton Keynes Council, as at that time I was a councillor. When my term of election ended in 2019, I chose not to stand as a councillor again. However, I was invited to remain as a governor of the Trust as a representative of the business community. Outside of work, I am a director of a local charity. I enjoy long distance running and have practiced Tae Kwon-Do for the last 35 years. I am the Chief Executive of Healthwatch Milton Keynes, the independent local champion for people in receipt of health and social care services in Milton Keynes. I became an appointed governor in 2017 when I joined Healthwatch Milton Keynes. I have worked in the charitable sector in Milton Keynes for 13 years as a senior manager for young people’s sexual health services and as CEO of Healthwatch Milton Keynes. As an experienced champion of people’s voices, I’m keen to ensure that Healthwatch Milton Keynes represents the voice of the patients of Milton Keynes University Hospital through my role on the Council of Governors. Outside of my work, I am a mother to two young sons in a British-Italian household where I spend a lot of my time cooking and doing home crafts with my boys. I am married to Vicki, we live in Emberton, and we have one daughter. Sport has been a major part of my life, particularly rugby union and tennis. I enjoy travel and walking (usually with between one and three dogs!). I firmly believe that if you put effort into a community, you will get much from it.► Public Governors
Constituency A – Ashland, Bletchley, Denbigh, Eaton Manor, Fenny Stratford, Mount Farm, Simpson, Water Eaton, Whaddon
Constituency B – Crownhill, Emerson Valley, Furzton, Grange Farm, Great Holm, Hazeley, Kingsmead, Knowlhill, Loughton, Loughton Park, Medbourne, Oakhill, Oxley Park, Shenley Brook End, Shenley Church End, Shenley Lodge, Tattenhoe, Westcroft, Woodhill
Constituency C – Bradwell, Bradwell Common, Campbell Park, Central Milton Keynes, Conniburrow, Downhead Park, Downs Barn, Fishermead, Heelands, Linford South, Neath Hill, Newlands, Oldbrook, Rooksley, Springfield, Willen, Willen Park, Woolstones
Constituency D – Blakelands, Bolbeck Park, Castlethorpe, Clifton Reynes, Cold Brayfield, Emberton, Filgrave, Gayhurst, Giffard Park, Great Linford, Hanslope Park, Haversham, Lathbury, Lavendon, Linford North, Little Linford, Newport Pagnell, Newton Blossomville, North Crawley, Olney, Pennyland, Ravenstone, Sherington, Stoke Goldington, Tyringham, Weston Underwood
You can read Shirley’s blog here.
Constituency E – Beanhill, Bleak Hall, Brinklow, Brook Furlong, Broughton, Browns Wood, Caldecott, Coffee Hall, Danesborough, Eaglestone, Kents Hill, Kingston, Middleton, Milton Keynes Village, Monkston, Netherfield, Oakgrove, Old Farm Park, Pineham, Tilbrook, Tinkers Bridge, Walnut Tree, Walton Manor, Walton Park, Wavendon, Wavendon Gate, Woughton on the Green
Constituency F – Bancroft, Bancroft Park, Bluebridge, Bradville, Bradwell Abbey, Calverton, Fairfields, Fullers Slade, Galley Hill, Greenleys, Hodge Lea, Kiln Farm, Linford Wood, New Bradwell, Old Wolverton, Stacey Bushes, Stantonbury, Stony Stratford, Two Mile Ash, Upper Weald, Whitehouse, Wolverton, Wolverton Mill, Wymbush
I have lived in Milton Keynes for 46 years and been helping to volunteer at the hospital for almost 40 years as a member of MK Friends charity. I care very much about the hospital and the staff and in my volunteering role I have been able to meet people, especially nurses, and become friends with them. I’m very interested in what they are doing and how they are doing it. It’s about being kind and helping them and the hospital in any way I can. I have been a governor of the Trust before and I was re-elected in 2020. I have been a patient at the hospital several times too and this gives me a different perspective too. I have taken part in the 15 Steps Challenge at MKUH and was the Winner of the Volunteer of the Year category at the Trust’s 2019 Staff Awards. I am a member of the ‘Beyond the C’ Choir, am involved in P2P (Peer-to-Peer) and I am Vice-Chairperson of MK Friends Shop based inside the hospital.
Constituency G – Outer catchment area – Beachampton, Buckingham, Leighton Buzzard, Linslade, Hanslope, Old Stratford, The Brickhills, The Horwoods, Winslow, Woburn, Woburn Sands
Constituency H – Extended area – The rest of Buckinghamshire which is not already covered by Constituency G; the rest of Northamptonshire not already covered by Constituency G; the rest of Bedfordshire not already covered by Constituency G; the unitary council area of Luton; Cherwell District, Oxford City, South Oxfordshire council areas
Milton Keynes Business Leaders
Healthwatch MK
Milton Keynes Council
I have spent nearly 50 years working in IT, with roles in project leadership, senior management, sales and latterly project management. In the 1980s I enjoyed a role as Head of IT at Granada Television in Manchester, overseeing the introduction of computers to programme makers. I was also Executive Office Manager for Milton Keynes South MP Iain Stewart, facilitating his engagement with the local community. I have been a ward councillor at Milton Keynes Council since 2011, and I was Mayor of Milton Keynes in 2015/2016, during which time MKUH Cancer Centre charity which was one of my charities for the year, along with the Mayoress.
Last Modified: 10:15am 24/03/2023