Richard Barritt re-appointed as Patient Voice Representative to WHC Board
Richard Barritt re-appointed as Patient Voice Representative to WHC Board
The Wiltshire Health and Care (WHC) Board unanimously voted for Richard Barritt to be re-appointment as Patient Voice Representative for a further 3 year term. As a Non-Executive Board member, Richard will lead on patient engagement and oversee the implementation of our Patient and Public Involvement Plan.
Richard said: “I’m delighted to have been reappointed and grateful to my Board colleagues for their faith in me. COVID-19 has understandably paused our patient engagement work, but I believe there is a real opportunity now to rethink the way we engage with the communities we serve. As we work out what the new normal looks like and how to stay prepared to deal with any new surge whilst re-establishing services, it’s vital that we hear from patients what they too have learned from the crisis about how we can tailor our services safely to their needs.”
Richard added: “One of the lovely things about being an NHS Non Executive Board member is the pride you feel as you see your colleagues rising to the challenge, and challenges don’t come any tougher than this pandemic. Across WHC the response of staff has been truly inspiring, as have our patients accepting treatment being put on hold, carers who have faced so many extra burdens and our communities across Wiltshire that have rallied in support.”
Richard and new WHC Chair Steve Ladyman are looking forward to visiting a number of sites this week, where they will be listening hard to what staff and patients have experienced and how they see the future.
If you would like to be involved in patient and public involvement or have any experiences that you would like to share, please email whc.communications@nhs.net