Why do we have Governors?

As a Foundation Trust, Mid Cheshire Hospitals has a Council of Governors. These include staff governors (elected by the staff), public governors (elected by members of the Trust) and two appointed governors (Councillors representing Cheshire East, and Cheshire West and Chester).

The main responsibilities of the governors are to listen to the views of the people they represent, and to “hold the Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) to account for the performance of the Board”. The NEDs are responsible for ensuring that the Board is meeting its responsibilities. So, the theory behind all this management-speak is that the concerns of the staff and the public are heard and addressed by the Board. This is democracy in action.

If a patient or a member of the public or a member of staff has a concern about a specific incident which occurred at MCHT, this should be taken to the Patient Advice and Complaints Team. But if there is a general concern, this could be discussed with any of the governors, who can advise how the situation can be addressed. Examples may include delays in waiting for an operation, delays in the Emergency Department, or the ever-present challenge of parking.

Please do feel free to contact any of the governors if you feel they may be able to help. The governors are independent: they are not part of the management structure of the Trust. Governors most definitely have influence, and their voices – your voice – are certainly heard by the Board.

A full list of governors is available here. Perhaps you would consider standing as a governor at the next elections, which open on 4 February.

We would like to hear from you.

John Bache OBE

Lead Governor / Public Governor