So it’s official, I am now a newly appointed Non-Clinical Governor for Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). I found out a few days ago, but it took a while before the computers at work had my name on their desktop wallpaper advertising my new position.

CoG profileI have a lot of work ahead of me now. Even though the Council of Governors (CoG) are meant to meet once every four months, I actually have a 3 events to go to before my first official CoG meeting.

Just as I had written before, one of my major goals is to improve IT at GSTT by creating a forum made up of clinical, operational management and IT staff who can debate what’s going on in GSTT’s IT world. We hope to have our first event in August, but a great deal of planning needs to be done before then to ensure we have a successful launch.

I’m really thankful for all those that voted, not just for me, but to actually make the effort to vote. Just under 11% of non-clinical staff voted however, and this is worrying. Is it because they don’t care? They didn’t have the time to fill in the paper or online ballot. Did they not even receive a ballot? I really think the CoG need to look at why so few people vote, and how we can change this. Since if they don’t vote for new CoG members, how can they expect to have their voices heard? Perhaps they don’t think anyone will want to listen. Well I for one do. It’s my job to listen, and to feedback to the Board of Directors, and wherever I can, help to make life better for colleagues and the patients we all serve, irrespective of our role as a GSTT member of staff.

So yes, I’m a happy man, but my eyes and ears are still open, and I’m ready to do my duty as Non-Clinical Governor.

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