National Volunteer Week (1-7 June 2017)
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is keen to raise awareness of the role and importance of its Governors who give their time voluntarily to help to shape and support the emergency and non-emergency services that the Trust provides in the South Central region.
Governors are volunteers and unpaid, and are expected to attend the majority of Council of Governors meetings. These are held four times a year in the evening. Governors are also expected to attend training, sub-committee meetings, patient forums, community engagement events, as well as the annual members’ meeting held each September.
Barry Lipscomb, Lead Governor for the Trust said: ‘As Public Governors for SCAS, our role is to represent the view of both our membership and our public generally, to act as an assessor of and critical friend to the Board of Directors of the Trust and, through challenge and encouragement, to promote the highest standards of public service. The role of Governor is entirely voluntary but also demanding and rewarding; we have specific statutory duties to fulfil and the opportunity to be the crucial link between our communities and the front line service. I have volunteered throughout my life, principally in the local government, charity, environmental, local government and NHS sectors. I have always enjoyed great satisfaction from the privilege of being able to listen to, help and serve others. As a Governor, and now as Lead Governor, I am uniquely placed to represent the voice of our patients, their friends and families and their communities at Board level; that liaison and advocacy is crucial to SCAS being able to design and deliver the best possible service.’
Governors are elected by members of the constituency of which they are a member and which they represent.
The Trust provides traditional 999 emergency services, as well as non-emergency patient transport services, NHS 111 services and logistics, commercial and training services across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire to a population of over 7 million people (this includes the provision of the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service in Surrey and Sussex).
SCAS is currently seeking to appoint new public Governors in Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and anyone interested in standing for election or becoming a member of the Trust should contact the Membership Office for more information on 01869 365126 or by email at getinvolved@scas.nhs.uk
Alternatively, visit our Autumn Governors election website page.