Meet the team responsible for delivering Healthwatch Staffordshire.
This group provides advice on:
- Healthwatch priorities
- The Enter and View programme to monitor the quality of care
- Identifying key public concerns
- Community engagement activity
They act as the voice of the people and make sure that Healthwatch Staffordshire adheres to the core principles of confidentiality, respect, feedback, transparency and influence.
Dave Bassett | Engagement Officer
Email: david.bassett@healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk
Dave has been involved with Health and Social Care since 1972, working for Cumbria, Derbyshire and Staffordshire Social Services. He has also held senior management roles in the NHS in Leicestershire and North Staffordshire both as a provider and a
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Dave has been involved with Health and Social Care since 1972, working for Cumbria, Derbyshire and Staffordshire Social Services. He has also held senior management roles in the NHS in Leicestershire and North Staffordshire both as a provider and a commissioner. For the last few years he has worked in the voluntary and independent sectors in the West Midlands until retiring in the summer of 2018.
Previously Dave was Vice Chair of Staffordshire LINK, representing them as a non-voting member of Staffordshire County Council Health Scrutiny Committee and in meetings relating to changes to Stafford Hospital A&E. He has chaired his GP patient group and was an initial member of East Staffordshire CCG Patient Board. He is a Director of Burton and district Mind and a member of University of Derby and Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. His interests are in community health and care services for vulnerable adults and their interface with hospital services as well as patient and public involvement. He is also a season ticket holder at Leicester City.
Dave is our Community Outreach Lead for East Staffordshire.
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Emma Ford | Engagement Officer
Email: emma.ford@healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk
Emma has a law degree, legal practice certificate, and 15 years’ experience of working in the voluntary sector, including as a Volunteer Generalist Advisor at Stoke Citizen’s Advice Bureau (latterly specialising in Debt Work), and as the Media Bureau Co-ordinator
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Emma has a law degree, legal practice certificate, and 15 years’ experience of working in the voluntary sector, including as a Volunteer Generalist Advisor at Stoke Citizen’s Advice Bureau (latterly specialising in Debt Work), and as the Media Bureau Co-ordinator for a charity that combatted stigma against those experiencing mental ill health. For 10 years Emma was the Outreach & Engagement Officer for Stoke-on-Trent for the North Staffs Users Group, a charity that worked to improve mental health services.
Emma wants to use her skills, knowledge, and experience (both personal and professional) to work with the people of Newcastle and Staffordshire Moorlands to improve the health services they receive.
In her spare time, Emma likes running, having completed several half marathons and the London Marathon, and has recently started taking part in triathlons.
Emma is our Community Outreach Lead for Newcastle and the Staffordshire Moorlands.
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Sarah Gorton | Engagement Officer
Email: sarah.gorton@healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk
Sarah worked for the NHS for 30 years as a Registered General Nurse in both clinical and non-clinical roles. She has a BSc in Specialist Nursing practice from the University of Staffordshire. As a clinical nurse she worked in a
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Sarah worked for the NHS for 30 years as a Registered General Nurse in both clinical and non-clinical roles. She has a BSc in Specialist Nursing practice from the University of Staffordshire. As a clinical nurse she worked in a variety of settings. In Yorkshire she worked in a large acute hospital then after moving to Staffordshire she worked as a District Nurse and has experience in the Child and Family sector.
Later in non-clinical roles she worked for Public Health England working closely with the services which provide the national immunisations and screening programmes to the general public. Her last role as an RGN was working for Macmillan Cancer Support within a large local teaching hospital. This was to implement an assessment to improve the lives of people living with and beyond cancer. She is passionate about reducing health inequalities.
In her spare time Sarah enjoys walking her two Staffie rescues, Bella and Boomy.
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Claire Hill | Project Officer/Data Analyst
Derek Hoey | Healthwatch Advisory Board Member
I am 66 years old, married with two sons and two granddaughters. I have lived in Tamworth for the past 38 years, although I am of proud Scottish heritage, having
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I am 66 years old, married with two sons and two granddaughters. I have lived in Tamworth for the past 38 years, although I am of proud Scottish heritage, having been born in Dundee.
Now retired, I spent most of my career in the world of advertising – although latterly I changed path and worked as a Research Officer with West Midlands Police.
I became a Healthwatch Champion in 2014, having attended a focus group they organised in Tamworth, following a controversial decision to close an operating facility at the local hospital. That decision was reversed – so it shows the potential power of the public voice! Since then, I have become an Authorised Representative and was appointed to the Advisory Group in 2016.
The remainder of my time is taken up with such things as being a magistrate on the South East Staffordshire bench and a member of the Tamworth & District Civic Society – and, of course, grandparent duties! less