Norman Holding stepping down as Lead Governor

“As I come to the end of nine years as a governor and seven years as lead governor, I would like to say how much I have enjoyed my time at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH).

“I have learned so much and hopefully contributed something to the progress of both the Trust and the Council of Governors.

“There are so many people to say thank you to; governors, current and past, executives, non-executive directors, and staff, also to Steve McGuirk, our Chair and John Culshaw, Company Secretary for their help and guidance during my tenure. I would like to wish the above all best for the future and I will be keeping a watchful eye on the Trust’s progress.

“As a governor I have been involved in several committees and projects that have worked to improve the services and health of Warrington and Halton residents.

“The changes within the Trust have been noticeable over the years and all have added to the betterment of patients and the staff.

“If you are considering getting involved with the Trust, please do. There are several ways to be involved, which are detailed below. There is so much you can give from your experiences and so much you get in return, along with the knowledge you are helping your local healthcare community.”

We gave our governors an opportunity to ask Norman questions regarding his time as governor and lead governor.

Reflecting on your time as lead governor, can you tell us about a time when you feel that governors and you made a difference in your role here at the Trust? [Sue Fitzpatrick, new lead governor and governor for Warrington]

I think governors supporting the meetings and activities that are arranged has made a difference, the one that sticks out would be in my first term as lead governor when the Council of Governors unanimously supported my proposal for governors to observe Board committees. 

Any top tips from your experience / insights for new governors? [Carol Ann Kelly, governor for Warrington]

My top tips for our new governors would be:

1. Understand the role including your statutory duties completely, by reading the information provided by the Trust and engaging in training and development opportunities.
2. Listen and observe
3. Let your voice be heard
4. Be committed and take opportunities to be involved.
5. Bring the patient / public voice to the table.

What three words best describe your time as lead governor at WHH? [Diane Nield, new deputy lead governor and governor for Warrington]

• Enjoyable
• Enlightening
• Responsibility

What advice would you give to your successor Sue Fitzpatrick? [Diane Nield, new deputy lead governor and governor for Warrington]

Listen to everybody, involve all, ensure that the governors work within their remit, set the example, keep everybody informed and know the role.

Regarding the NHS, what keeps you awake at night? [Diane Nield, new deputy lead governor and governor for Warrington]

Funding, staffing, long waiting lists and very old estates, which are all priorities for the Trust Board as detailed in the WHH Strategy and the risks are clearly documented in the Board Assurance Framework.

Did you get out of your governor’s role what you thought when you applied for the post? [John Fagan, governor for Halton]

I know I have got a lot more than expected out of the role. Having come from a non-healthcare professional background. The first big thing I learned is that governors should not get involved in operational issues. I have gained an amount of new knowledge, seen the challenges from both staff and patients’ points of view. I have met a lot of dedicated people; staff and governors who have wanted to ensure a better health provision for the people of Warrington and Halton.

Looking back on the last nine years, what caused you the most concern or what was the most difficult aspect as a governor / chair? [Colin Jenkins, governor for Halton]

In the first couple of years, I had some concerns around the governors’ ability to carry out their statutory duty of holding non-executive directors to account as we were not at that time observing any Trust committees or private Board meetings and found it a challenge to provide constructive feedback. The Trust has a very open and transparent approach with governors, we now observe all committee and Board meetings.

What can the rest of the governors do to support the new lead governor? [Colin McKenzie, governor for Halton]

Governors need to support the lead governor by being involved as much as they can, by attending meetings and events where they can engage with their members, join the observation visits and provide feedback. The most important thing in taking on the role is to be an active member of the Council of Governors.

We also took an opportunity to ask Norman some more questions, whilst we had him in the spotlight.

What did you enjoy most about being a governor?

Meeting people and interacting with staff, patients and the public has been a privilege. I have enjoyed the observation visits which have enabled us to engage informally with staff and patients in their care / work environments.

What do you think is the most important role a governor plays?

The most important role is to ensure that the patients' / public voice is heard by the Trust and to ensure that the non-executive directors are holding executive directors to account for the performance of the Trust, and taking steps to seek further assurance and reassurance when required. 

Do you have any examples of any impact you feel you / your Council of Governors have made?

The governors have made an impact through the governor observation visits, governors have over the years seen, heard and made recommendations across most wards and departments. The Trust listens to our findings and actions were appropriate. Over a long period, governors commented on the underutilisation of the Captain Sir Tom Moore Building on the Halton Hospital site, and this has now progressed to the site being utilised with more surgeries and scans taking place. We have also seen the opening of the Breast Care Centre to the benefit of the local communities.

Tell us about any groups / committees / specific roles you have had and how you felt this added value?

Over the years I have been involved with several committees and groups including patient experience, PLACE (patient-led assessments of the care environment), mock CQC inspections, strategy groups, engagement groups, various system development groups, transport group and the food and hydration group. These are just a small sample of the groups I have been involved with. In my role as governor, being involved with these groups has helped to bring the patients' voice and views of the public members to the table.

What is your view on the importance of training, skills development and wider support for governors?

I feel that it is a key element of being a governor, training initially is needed to understand the role, which is not a traditional governor role. Ongoing training helps to develop an understanding of the NHS, local control systems (Integrated Care Board (ICB)) and nationally. Like many other roles, constant change needs to be kept up with if you are to fully contribute.

Can you tell us about some of the positive changes you have seen over the years at WHH?

There have been many changes over the years, the most noticeable to me has been the culture change; there has been more support and avenues for staff to raise their concerns with management. Another major change has been the improved utilisation of the Halton Hospital site. The addition of the Same Day Emergency Care Centre (SDEC) on the Warrington Hospital site has helped to keep patients out of the Emergency Department, the setting up of a clinical research centre at the Halton Hospital site has increased the Trust’s ability to engage in more clinical trials, the outcomes of these will benefit our future generations.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Norman for his service over the last nine years and we will miss you. Good luck for your future endeavours.

Get in touch with a governor

If you want to find out more about becoming a governor or wish to contact your governor representative, please email whh.foundation@nhs.net  with your query or with a request for them to contact you and tell us the area that you live in.

You can also call on 01925 66 2139.