23 July 2019

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for volunteers to help guide the hospital in its new home.

The world-leading heart and lung hospital has just given official 'notice of elections' for its Council of Governors, who play an important role in helping to shape the future of the Trust.

Governors are elected from public, patient and staff groups, and use their skills and experiences to support the work of the hospital and ensure that the Trust is accountable to local people. 

Royal Papworth is seeking seven public Governors; one from Cambridgeshire, one from Norfolk, three from Suffolk and two from the rest of England and Wales. 

There are also three staff roles available in this year’s elections, one each from; nursing; admin, clerical and management; and ancillary, estates and others. 

The Council of Governors meet quarterly and training is provided for the role. 

It’s important that those who sit on the Council are from a variety of backgrounds and therefore previous experience of working or volunteering within a hospital setting is not required. 

Stephen Brown is a former patient at Royal Papworth and has been a Governor for two years: “Eleven years ago I underwent open heart surgery for a bypass operation and started to think about what I could give back to the hospital.

“My job was as a senior manager within the construction industry so being a patient is my only involvement within the NHS. I’ve met other governors who are in similar situations; car sales people, farmers, you name it.

“It’s been a very enjoyable two years and you can have a big input in the development of the hospital – observing what goes on in the hospital, speaking to patients, putting your comments in, and putting those points across to help inform the decisions that are made at the highest level.”

Nominations close at 17:00 on Friday 2 August 2019. Nominations may be completed online or returned by post or email. Access the online nomination portal or download a nomination form.

For more information on being a Governor, contact Anna Jarvis, Trust Secretary, on 01223 638064 or visit the Council of Governors section of the hospital website.