We would like to introduce you to the public, staff and appointed governors who sit on our Council of Governors. Please read the biographies below to learn more about each of them.
Our Council of Governors is chaired by the chair of our Board - Julie Houlder
Lynn Walshaw
Derbyshire
Lynn is a registered nurse, passionate about patient care, who has enjoyed a 40-year career working within the NHS as both a clinician and in senior manager roles working in both acute and community Trusts. After semi-retiring in 2014 Lynn has worked as an independent consultant within the NHS.
Lynn is married and moved from her home county of Yorkshire to Derbyshire 32 years ago. Lynn enjoys a number of interests which include history, art and design, travel and road touring and sings within a local community singing group.
Public governors are local people who have been elected by local people to work with us on behalf of their local communities. They represent local interests and are working with us to improve health services for the future.
City of Derby
Paula Lewis - Paula is a registered general nurse, who is passionate about patient care, and has enjoyed a 42-year career working within the NHS. Looking to semi-retire this year, she still aims to contribute to healthcare in varying ways. Paula is widowed and lives in Mickleover. She enjoys reading, travel and mindfulness. She has spent most of her life living within the Midlands.
- Vacancy
Derbyshire
Paul Robertson - Paul is a local government officer who has a varied career spanning 48 years working in allocation, managing and developing affordable housing more recently dealing with insurance and risk management. In that career partnership working with health, adult services and the voluntary sector has been a continuous strand.He has also been active as a volunteer as a school governor and a paitient representative on a GP practice and an Amber Valley group. Paul is married and moved from Yorkshire to Ripley 31years ago.
Claire McCann: Claire is a qualified nursery nurse and has worked within social services as a family support officer. Claire has recently passed an engagement and diversity course, level 2 and is studying an Open University degree course in Psychology.
Claire has lived in Chesterfield for 40 years and is a single parent of 2 autistic young men. She enjoys the gym, walking and meeting new people.
Lynn Walshaw - lead governor: Lynn is a registered nurse, passionate about patient care, who has enjoyed a 40-year career working within the NHS as both a clinician and in senior manager roles working in both acute and community Trusts. After semi-retiring in 2014 Lynn worked as an independent consultant within the NHS.
Lynn is married and moved from her home county of Yorkshire to Derbyshire 32 years ago. Lynn enjoys a number of interests which include history, art and design, travel and road touring and singing within a local community singing group.
Gillian Harvey: Gill was a GP partner in Dronfield for 35 years, retiring at the end of 2015. During that time she was a GP trainer and medical student educator. Gill was clinical governance lead at North Derbyshire PCT and a clinical advisor sitting on the GP Performance Panel, performing quality visits to GP practices and Chesterfield Royal Hospital, and investigating complaints against GPs.
Gill has lived in North Deryshire for most of her life and has two children and four grandchildren, all of whom live in North East Derbyshire.
Jill Kendrick: Jill is a retired NHS employee having spent 39 years working for the NHS in Derbyshire. A substantial part of her career was spent working closely with our primary care colleagues. Her final position as head of performance and planning involved working with all secondary care providers ensuring NHS targets for patient care were achieved.
Jill has lived in Derbyshire all her life with the last 18 years being in Bolsover. Jill is married with one daughter and one granddaughter. Hobbies include walks with the family dog and taking holidays everywhere.
Sanjoy Sen: Sanjoy was born and raised in Chesterfield. He is keen to support the NHS in Derbyshire, especially in memory of his father, an eye surgeon at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital from the late 1960s until the late 1980s.
Sanjoy is a chemical engineer by profession. He previously worked in Aberdeen and various international locations on offshore oil and gas projects. In recent years he has been involved in the clean energy transition and currently works on hydrogen projects.
Sanjoy’s interests include quizzes and he has appeared on several TV shows including Mastermind (semi-final) and Only Connect (quarter-final).
Ann Button: Ann is very concerned about the treatment and care of the elderly, local rehabilitation wards, appropriate food and hearing problems.
She chairs Deaf and Hearing Support, which covers North Derbyshire, and gives general advice to aid the hearing impaired with employment and integration in society, helping prevent isolation and depression.
She is a committee member of 50+ and attends various appropriate group meetings and was a member of the old PCT Elderly and Disabilities Commissioning groups. She is also chair of the former Derbyshire Electricity Consumers Complaints Committee, and a member of the East Midlands and National groups. Her employment experience includes working in the accounts department in a department store and secretary to a professor of Mathematical Physics at Birmingham University.
Ann has lived in Bakewell for about 46 years but life has taken her around the country from the Midlands to Devon and London, and back to Nottingham and Lincoln and loves exploring the history and countryside around her. She has two children and six grandchildren. Her interests include gardening, cooking, embroidery and reading.
Charlotte Mochrie: Charlotte is a mother of three and a qualified reflexologist. She is passionate about healthcare, more specifically for women, babies & children. After struggling to gain access to peri-natal mental health support after the birth of her first child, she is passionate about helping new Mother's during the fourth trimester. She was born in Kent but has lived in Derbyshire for the last eight years after leaving a job in the creative industry in London to raise her young family. She enjoys reading, gardening and learning about the history of women's health.
- Vacancy
- Vacancy
- Vacancy
Rest of England
Valentine Oluka:
I am originally from Nigeria. Since arriving the UK, I have gained valuable experience across a range of health and social care settings, reflecting a profound commitment to improving the lives of individuals through dedicated service and compassionate care.
Now stepping into a pivotal role as the NHS public governor for the Rest of England district, I am eager to contribute my insights and passion for healthcare excellence. My journey from Nigeria to the UK and through multiple healthcare roles demonstrates a steadfast dedication to health and social care, underpinned by a strong desire to make a meaningful impact in his new capacity.
Staff Governors represent staff interests and have been elected to work with us to enhance patient care and the working lives of staff.
Meet our staff governors
Clinical
Marie Heywood: Marie is a registered general nurse who has worked in the NHS for 34 years. She has experience in acute and primary care, in elderly care, midwifery, neonatal intensive care, health visiting and her current role is as a specialist community public health nurse in school nursing. Marie is passionate about public health and developing services for children and young people, and hopes to raise the profile of these services as a governor.
Marie has lived in South Derbyshire all her life and is married with two children and two cats. Pre-Covid Marie enjoyed going out for meals, aqua-aerobics and badminton.
Claire Neale: Claire qualified as a nurse in 1996 and has worked in Derbyshire all of her nursing career and is committed to community healthcare.
Claire was awarded Queens Nurse status in 2019 of which she is immensely proud of. Claire is an integrated community team lead which keeps her on her toes!
Claire is married with two adult children, she says her house feels like a B&B at times but she wouldn’t want it any other way. Claire likes to chill out in her garden during the summer months or snuggled on the sofa in her PJs with a good boxset.
Lisa Brentnall: Lisa has worked as a Registered Nurse for 18 years in a variety of settings. She has experience within the clinical area of Palliative Care, and Management within NHS teams and private settings. This is where her career options have taken her over the years, working in hospice settings, nursing homes and NHS wards and community services. Her current role is as Dementia Palliative Care Team Lead.
Lisa’s home is in Derbyshire, and she is married with two grown children. She enjoys spending time with her family, walking with her dog Bruce, and supporting her local community as a Parish Councillor.
Lynne Bakewell: Lynne is a physiotherapist that has been qualified for 25 years and has worked in North East Derbyshire for the last 13 years within DCHS. She has experience of community working alongside therapy colleagues, as well as nursing teams and hospital based services.
Lynne believes that the focus of patient care should be around ensuring a quality service and an excellent patient experience. She sees the staff governor role as essential to finding out about how and why the trust is moving forward and influencing the shaping of future services. She believes that staff should challenge where appropriate and that all views should be heard and valued.
Tracy Elder:
Non-Clinical
Rachel Green: Rachel is a technical instructor working within Physiotherapy Outpatients at Ripley Hospital since 2007. Also, previously working for short periods within Babington, Ilkeston and Heanor hospitals.
She has studied and developed within her years at DCHS with more clinical knowledge. Rachel is a qualified gym instructor and most recently, a wellbeing champion for her service and completing her health improvement qualification.
Rachel has been married for 20 years and lived in Derbyshire all her life. Her two boys have grown up, so she spends more time with her dog and learning the rules of Flyball.
She is keen on being physically active to support charities, and often encouraging her colleagues to join her challenges along the way!
Joy enjoys outdoor activities, especially adventures involving a bicycle.
Adam Twyford: I have been working in DCHS for nearly 20 years now, starting as an apprentice electrician and working my way up to my current position as an Estates manager. My leisure interests include spending time with my kids, playing rugby, and mountain biking.
Marie Shenton: Marie is a Therapy Support Worker in the Derby City Rapid Response Community Therapy Team. She is passionate about patient care and has enjoyed a 7 year career working within the NHS, originally in a hospital setting and now in the community.
Marie is married with a daughter and two pugs and moved from her home county of West Bromwich to Derbyshire 17 years ago.
Marie was a professional singer for 20 years and was diagnosed with her Super Power: ADHD, around 10 years ago. She enjoys several interests which include travel, meeting new people, arts and crafts and singing.
Hazel Lea: Hazel started her NHS career in Sheffield in 1994 and has done various admin and management roles in Sheffield and Chesterfield NHS Trusts. She joined DCHS in January 2010 and her current role is business manager in quality and professional standards, which involves working closely with the medical director and his senior team. Hazel’s also a staff wellbeing champion.
Hazel lives on the North Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border with her husband, two teenage daughters and a big fluffy cat. She enjoys outdoor activities including walking, running and cycling. Also a love of overseas travel which hopefully incorporates good food, cocktails and a chance to explore exciting new places.
Along with our Public and Staff Governors, we also have three Appointed Governors. These Governors are nominated representatives from partner organisations we work closely with:
Derbyshire County Council
Cllr Neil Atkin: Neil lived at Barrow-on-Trent and was educated at Heanor Gate School before attending Broomfield Agriculture College following which he joined the family farming business as a Landowner until he retired in the Spring 2017 after being bought out of the family business due to changes.
He is known as a dual hatted elected member for two local authorities the first was back in 2002 for South Derbyshire District Council to the present day and secondly for Derbyshire County Council where he is now serving his second term of office. Over the years he has been on several committees covering Planning, Housing & Community & Leisure services, Overview & Scrutiny, Audit, Environment & Development Services on the District Council also was the Council Civic Chairman twice (to some the Mayor)
At Derbyshire County Council he served on the Pensions & Investments committee as vice chairman and also served on the Derbyshire Fire Authority. During his term on the East Midlands Airport Independent Consultative committee he was the vice chairman then became the interim Chairman for two years due to the resignation of the Chairman during lockdown reluctantly until his departure as a representative this year. Now he carries a huge responsibility as a cabinet support member covering no less than 21 outside body appointments attached to this portfolio alone.
He does find time to follow his hobby. From April to September he is a member of Guards Polo Club, their matches are held at Smith Lawn on private grounds within Windsor Great Park owned by HM The Queen where he can be found mainly at weekends entertaining the clubs corporate hospitality guests & friends, dining at Mosimanns clubhouse restaurant serving fine food and wine, an experience every guest never forgets.
University of Derby
Navjot Virk: Navjot is a senior academic at the University, heading up Midwifery and Children's Nursing in the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. Navjot has strong professional history in National Health Service and Higher Education Sector in India and England. She is member of various local, regional, and national professional groups and holds national credibility in the fields of Health Promotion, Safeguarding, Infant Mental health and Speech and Language development. Navjot is well known for her passion in leadership and has supported and coached various health professionals across England. She is passionate about improving quality of services.
In her voluntary capacity as a School governor, she has supported various state funded, Free schools and independent schools and provided strategic direction to improve quality of education. She played pivotal role in setting up Akaal Primary School in Derby which is Sikh Faith Designated Primary school imparting value-based education. In addition, to that she is nationally trained inspector for conducting section 48 Faith Inspections in primary and secondary schools.
Navjot is an active member of Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara where she does voluntary service in leading a Punjabi school to teach Punjabi and Sikh Studies to UK born children. Navjot is also Her Majesty appointed Marriage Registrar for Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara Derby to conduct marriages.
Navjot is the proud winner of Vii Media women role model award 2021 where 100 most empowered women were selected across the globe.
Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise
Jacqui Bell: With almost thirty years voluntary sector experience, including over 15 years as senior manager of medium-sized VCSE infrastructure organisations in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Newcastle & Cardiff, Jacqui is skilled at leading charities through organisational change, significantly increasing income and impact.
Holding the core belief that the participation of people with lived experience in the development of local services is key to achieving excellence in any organisation, Jacqui is committed to ensuring quality engagement of service user voices.
Jacqui lives in Ripley with her rescue dog Fred & Bob the cat, a local stray who has moved in to stay.