New Interim Chair of Healthwatch England appointed
Belinda, who is a Non-Executive Member of the Care Quality Commission, will hold the position until a permanent Chair is appointed by the Government.
Belinda is a registered mental health nurse who has worked extensively in health and social care. She has also held senior roles in the NHS, independent and charity sectors, including as chief executive of Sheffcare, a Sheffield-based adult social care charity. She has also worked on many national projects establishing best practice for older people with multiple long-term conditions and people living with dementia.
The Government is currently recruiting a permanent replacement. The new appointee will be both Chair of Healthwatch England and a Non-Executive Member of the Care Quality Commission.
In a farewell message to Healthwatch colleagues, outgoing Chair Sir Robert said:
"Since Healthwatch was created, the network has come a long way in effectively reaching out to those whose voices need to be heard but often are not. How you then harness these relationships to create a dialogue between those who provide the services and those who need them is equally impressive.
"It is likely that the demands on health and social care services will only increase. So your work to ensure that decisions about our services are taken with us, not for us, has never been so important."
