Elections to find six new governors at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust are due to take place — and potential governors can put their names forward from 10th May.
Governors are needed to represent the trust’s King’s Mill, Mansfield Community, and Newark hospital sites.

Sue Holmes, who has been the lead governor at the trust for eight years, said it wanted forward-thinking people of all ages and backgrounds to represent the diverse communities served by the hospital sites.

Governors listen to feedback from the trust’s 14,000 members, and the wider public, and relay these views to the board of directors.

Sue, of Sutton, added: “It’s so important to get people engaged with the services of their local hospital.

“It’s their hospital and if they want the excellent service to continue, this is the chance to become involved and contribute.

“They may not need to use the services right now, but I can guarantee that at some point in the future they will.

“It’s important that people can have a say in making the services we provide work for them and they can do this by becoming a governor.

“The most rewarding part of being a governor is talking to patients, the public, and colleagues in the hospital to find out how they find things at our hospitals and what we can do to make their experience even better.

“I also enjoy visiting schools and other community events to spread the word about the wide range of careers available in the NHS and encourage people to become members.”

Elected by members of the trust, governors have a statutory duty to hold its non-executive directors to account for the performance of the trust Board. The role is voluntary, but expenses to travel to meetings are paid.

Sue said: “A governor doesn’t need to have a background in the NHS, but they must be able to ask the difficult questions and be passionate about improving our hospitals.

“I became a governor after receiving treatment at King’s Mill Hospital because I felt I wanted to give something back. I found the whole process very interesting, particularly as I don’t come from an NHS background.”

Those who want to be a governor must first become a member of the trust. This can be done at www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/get-involved or email [email protected]