Council of Governors members

Cathy is CEO of local independence charity, Ruils and has worked in the Richmond Borough for over 18 years.

Having experienced the compassionate care of Kingston hospital first hand, Cathy was motivated to become a governor to gain a better understanding of the hospital processes and to bring her experience of the voluntary sector to aid greater integration between hospital and community services.

Bonnie has been a Governor since 2015. Bonnie and her family have all experienced great care at Kingston Hospital ranging from having babies (two generations) to successfully being treated for cancer.

Her working and voluntary experience of the healthcare system and the local/national patient partner voice has enabled her to work with the Council of Governors to ensure that the Trust is delivering quality services to patients and that patients are involved in its quality improvement work.

Michelle has lived in the Kingston Borough, for 20 years. Her employment and volunteering roles have been focused on working in the charity sector for causes related to health, disability or social care.

As Michelle has worked in roles supporting carers and people with health conditions, she believes passionately in the need for proactive engagement to a wide range of voices in the running of services.

Michelle has a patient first approach as a former lay advisor on medical trials and as a cancer survivor and has worked with organisations that complement the work of hospitals to provide best all round support to patients and their families.

Michelle is currently chair of the Governors’ Quality and Scrutiny Committee.

Catherine has lived in the Kingston Borough for 15 years and was elected Governor in November 2021. She believes that great healthcare is critical to having a thriving local community and considers her role as governor critical in representing the voice of the patients and their families.

She has a business background in the health industry having worked in operations and strategy within the pharmaceutical sector. During the height of the pandemic, she was part of a team advising central NHS/Government on the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Aisling (Ash) is a volunteer in the Emergency Department (ED). She wanted to be a governor to look at ways of further improving the overall experience of patients and their accompanying family and friends, particularly in ED.

This position gives Ash the freedom to explore, along with the Council and various Committees, innovative ways of working and collaborating. The pandemic has taught her that when we need to move quickly and make changes, we can.

Raju is a Volunteer Hindu Chaplain at the hospital and a Minister of Religion as a Hindu Priest. He has lived in Surbiton for over 50 years and is a community representative for the Indian Elders in the Kingston Borough.

Raju’s experience and skills include strong links with the members of the ethnic minority community, specialising in equality and diversity and working for Kingston Council on the Health Overview Panel as Chairman and as an elected Councillor.

Rebecca was elected in November 2021. As a local Mum, whose children were all born at Kingston Hospital, Rebecca has fond memories of her experience at the hospital. Appreciating the first-hand care she received, she welcomes the opportunity to dedicate her time and efforts to support Kingston Hospital achieve its vision in working together to deliver exceptional, compassionate care – each and every time.

Rebecca brings her professional experience of stakeholder management, board strategy development and liaison with regulatory bodies to her role as a governor. She is also Vice-Chair Governor at a local Academy Trust School within the Kingston borough.

Peter is retired and lives in Esher with his wife Kathleen. They have two children - Johanna and Michael.

Peter became a Pets As Therapy (PAT) volunteer at Kingston Hospital in 2019 and since then, has undertaken a number of other volunteering roles in the hospital. Peter was elected as a governor for Elmbridge in 2023.

During his early career, Peter worked for a number of large and complex organisations in property and service management, and later led a number of successful professional services businesses.

Peter has also had experience in the voluntary sector and is currently a Board Trustee of the PAT charity.

Pradeepreddy currently works as a care support worker, working with service users with learning disabilities as well as working in partnership with various professionals, families, and providers.

Pradeepreddy believes that his background and perspective will allow him to confidently support, advocate for, and empower individuals who may feel unheard. In his role as a governor, he looks forward to further contributing to his local community and supporting the services that are on offer.

Birth. Death. Critical illness. All of life’s key events, all witnessed by care staff. I myself was born at Kingston Hospital and witnessed my father pass away there. The care I’ve seen showcased by the staff at Kingston is second to none. I am able to make this assessment as I was a Care Quality Commission hospital inspector and I am acutely aware that the ‘Outstanding’ rating from the CQC that endows Kingston hospital is completely merited.

From my experiences in healthcare, to my will to assist my local community, I am proud to be a governor to offer support, guidance and be a representative for my borough.

Isabella is a marketing and communications specialist who has worked in the education sector for over 30 years. She is also a trustee of a local multi-academy trust that supports primary and secondary schools across southwest London.

This is Isabella’s second term as an elected governor representing the London Borough of Richmond and she has been a volunteer visitor at the hospital for nearly 5 years, working once a week in the elderly care wards of Blyth and Kennett.

Isabella feels that her governor and volunteering roles have given a real insight into the workings of the Trust, and she is a fervent advocate of Kingston Hospital as she has seen the huge difference it makes to people’s lives in our communities.

Susan’s professional background is in the leadership of international aid programmes and as Chief Executive of Richmond Citizens Advice Bureau.

For five years, Susan served on the Board of Richmond Clinical Commissioning Group and is now excited to have the opportunity to bring her professional experience, knowledge of the Borough and of health systems, and her passion for joined-up health and well-being services that put the patient first, to help staff and directors make services at Kingston hospital the very best they can be.

Ghazanfar has over 30 years’ experience in the field of medicine and psychiatry, currently serving in addictions and with a particular interest in complaints management.

Ghazanfar has previously been a senior inspector for the CQC and is affiliated to a number of charities, particularly those working with homeless people and rehabilitating offenders, as well as children’s charities.

In his role as a governor, Ghazanfar hopes to support service improvements across the hospital, drawing on his experience of service design and re-design, including pathways and policies.

Jennifer (Jen) has worked at Kingston Hospital since 2010; predominately in admin roles such as a ward clerk, receptionist, admin manager, project manager and currently as a service support manager across physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Jen lives in Teddington and has utilised the hospital’s services for herself, as part of treatment for cervical cancer, and for both her children who were born prematurely and were residents of Kingston’s Neonatal Unit.

Jen is passionate about promoting the value of admin and non-clinical staff and saw the staff governor role as an opportunity to use her voice to champion the hospital’s support staff, whilst also gaining a greater understanding of the ‘inner workings’ of the NHS.

This is Jen’s second term as a staff governor, and she is also an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion, which she finds provides valuable opportunities to engage with a wide range of staff.

Anna is currently a Physiotherapy Operational Lead, looking after the inpatient physiotherapy teams at Kingston Hospital.

Anna is passionate about raising the voice of AHP staff as well as celebrating the work of AHP colleagues.

Having worked as a physiotherapist in the NHS for over 17 years, both in community, acute and rehabilitation settings, Anna has gained a wealth of knowledge about the various AHP groups and their valuable role in the future of NHS services.

Saeed has a Masters in strategic management from University of Wales and has been working in the NHS since 2012.

In his professional career, Saeed has undertaken a range of managerial and leadership roles relating to his studies and looks forward to representing colleagues in his role as a staff governor and ensuring their voices are heard.

A local authority councillor in Richmond upon Thames since 2006, Piers is currently lead member for adult social care, health, and public health, and chairs the Richmond Health and Wellbeing Board.

A strong advocate for integrating health and care, Piers views Kingston Hospital as a very important partner in the health and care system for Richmond and across South West London. Piers also has governance experience from being a primary and secondary school governor and as a trustee and Non-Executive Director of Richmond Music Trust. He is also an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Farshid is a former banker and hedge fund partner who has lived in Kingston for over 25 years.

Farshid is passionate about access to quality healthcare for all, and providing more connected services to our communities.

Graeme is currently the Cabinet Member in Wandsworth for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Community Safety. As such, his principal role is to ensure that Wandsworth residents who use Kingston Hospital receive the best care and treatment that the NHS can give.

Professionally, Graeme has been a civil servant working in the Health and Safety Executive and Department of Health specialising in occupational health and safety, and public health.

Claire is Head of the School of Nursing, Allied and Public Health at Kingston University and is passionate about the education of our future and current workforce.

As an experienced nurse academic, Claire hopes that her experience and skills will help to support the voice of workforce development and education.

Olivia is a student. She is passionate about debating, as well issues impacting young people.

Olivia was keen to become involved with Kingston Hospital because she wanted to give back to her local community, and hopes that as a young person, she can bring a different perspective to the Board of Governors.

Olivia has volunteered with the youth Healthwatch group ‘Youth Out Loud!’ and is also a member of Kingston and Richmond Youth Council. She uses her experience from these roles to analyse different issues regarding healthcare in Kingston and how they may impact young people.