Meet your Governors 

The Council of Governors consists of 13 Public Governors, four staff Governors and eight Partnership Governors. 

Public - Merseyside

Paul Taylor: Public Governor Merseyside

After suffering a Brian Haemorrhage over ten years ago, which finished off my working career, I turned to volunteering within the NHS and other volunteering roles that directly involved helping in the public sector.

I was a volunteer for Merseyside Welfare Rights, representing people at independent tribunals. My last volunteer role was with Mersey Care Trust, which was an elected membership role, I was then elected by the panel of governor to be their lead Governor, My volunteering with Merseycare was extremely dedicated to mental health, I befriended patients in a high secure hospital in Liverpool, and dedicated my time to Walton Life Rooms, assisting members of the community with mental health issues.

I was also so elected to the Board of Governor for Cheshire and Wirral Trust , but unfortunately due to the Covid pandemic it made it impossible to fully commit to the role , I thought it was best to step away to allow someone more Wirral and locally based to have my role.

I can only promise to represent Merseyside at The Walton Centre in a way I have done in my past volunteering roles, that is to give my time and experience to the trust.

Teresa Moretti

I have over ten years’ experience working in the NHS as a mental health social worker in a clinical role and I am very interested in the provision of healthcare and the implementation of best practice in the workplace.

I am experienced in working in complex care, within complex medical and emotional issues and supporting patients to maximise independence and function. Having been a patient of The Walton Centre for a number of years across various clinics I want to contribute to support The Walton Centre to maintain and progress the high standards of treatment and care it is recognised in providing.

In my work role I have a strong background in patient advocacy, a desire to protect autonomy and best interests and an empathetic and rationalised approach which would allow me to represent the views of the community to the hospital and work to ensure safe and properly resourced services and the accountability of the institutions that provide this care. I am proud to contribute to raising the awareness of the amazing work carried out by The Walton Centre and to support the professionals who care for the patients through ensuring that the care provided is holistic and representative of the patients views. I have experience of the effectiveness of collaborative working, and I am confident in contributing within this setting. I am a mother who is active in my local community, co founding a charity to collect food from local businesses, redistributing directly to those in need.

Carol Hopwood

Carol is married with two adult children and lives in Crosby. She qualified as a solicitor in Liverpool 1993 and owned her own law firm before later joining The Carpenters Group to become Head of the Serious and Catastrophic Injury Teams. As well as being responsible for the management, performance, and development of my teams she sits on the Operations Board and retains a caseload acting for some of the firms most catastrophically injured clients. Her focus is on rehabilitation and collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for her clients and working with Headway colleagues to offer community support. Carol is a mentor for Law Students at The University of Liverpool and in her spare time she fundraises for Headway Sefton and The Motor Neurone Disease Association. She has been a long-term supporter of The Walton Centre where both of her parents were treated for neurological conditions.

Belinda Shaw

Belinda was born in New Zealand and moved to Liverpool when she was four years old. She was previously a Patient/Carer Governor at Alder Hey Children's Hospital and is excited to be a Governor at such a specialist Trust. Belinda is currently unemployed but enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren and researching her family history.

Helen Jones

Helen qualified as a nurse in 1988 and retired in 2021. Both as a private citizen and a life-long critical care professional, she is passionate about equitable and excellent standards of care and the protection of the NHS. During her professional career she was employed by Cheshire and Mersey Critical Care Network as a local service improvement lead for The Walton Centre critical care unit. She was chair of Cheshire and Mersey Critical Care Network practice educators for many years, and an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in critical care at The Walton Centre. She innovated and led many service improvements, upheld exemplary standards, and remains passionate about patient safety and the experience of all service users. She said "Everyone who comes into contact with The Walton Centre should be satisfied with their experience and treatment. Everyone who works at the Walton Centre should be within a safe and nurturing environment, I would be honoured to be a part of maintaining that standard."

Public - Cheshire

Tom Stretch

“I have been a patient for all of the time The Walton Centre has been open and so can fully appreciate many of the positions that patients find themselves in. This equips me better to represent the issues of patients and members. I am also familiar with means of interacting with partner organisations on behalf of a body. In addition I have also recently applied to volunteer at The Walton Centre. The Walton Centre has always been there for me and has given me a lot, I would simply like to start giving back.”
Tom is a Halton Borough councillor, taking part in the democratic and decision making processes and regularly seeks the opinions of the public.  He is familiar with the structure of NHS trusts and working with partner organisations.

Judith Guthrie

Judith has been a patient of The Walton Centre over many years. She said "I have an insight into the professionalism and compassion that goes into all that they do". Judith is a retired Nurse Tutor and was a Senior lecturer in Palliative care so can understand not just a patients view but of staff too. She has also experience at Board level as a Non-Executive Director at several NHS trusts in Cheshire and a Partner Governor at a community trust. She added "I hope to bring experience and energy to get the best possible patient journey including the comfort and safety for all treated at The Walton Centre."

Public - North Wales

John Taylor - Lead Governor

“Fifteen years after first having major surgery at The Walton Centre, I am currently undergoing another round. Over the years I have met many others who say their lives were either saved, or - like mine - radically improved by the skilled care of Walton Centre staff. They don't only mean the brilliant clinicians; staff at every level make for a 'culture' that delivers a second-to-none patient experience, for which the Trust is rightly known.”
John is currently the Lead Governor and Chair of the Advisory Group. He knows, as a long-time resident of North Wales how important it is to patients to have access to the world-class, specialised - often cutting-edge - treatments at The Walton Centre and the challenges to commissioning and service delivery. After a senior career in the environment sector, both charitable and governmental, he knows about the challenges of running an organisation that aims to be outstanding in all it does. Becoming a Governor is his way to 'put something back' as both a patient and critical friend, helping to keep up The Walton Centre's superb reputation; holding leadership accountable and representing the needs and views of Welsh patients in particular. 

John Kitchen

“Recovery from the pandemic and planned changes to the NHS will affect The Walton Centre and its governance. The next three years will be challenging. There will undoubtedly be further complexity relating to cross-border NHS issues between England and Wales, satellite services, independent neurological nurse specialists, very expensive precision drugs and procedures and more; the list seems endless. Against this background, the role of Governor remains to hold the non-executive directors to account.”
Over the past six years John has accrued experience as a regular member of the Patient Experience and Research, Innovation and Medical Education Committees, attended Audit Committee and Council of Governors. He has also attended meetings at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Maelor Hospital and Neuroalliance groups.

Jan Paterson

Jan is part of a community committed to a better life for everyone affected by neurological conditions, aiming for high quality, accessible healthcare services so people with epilepsy and other neurological conditions have the support they need to manage their condition in the language of their choice, and preferred method of contact and to get access services that they so need to cope on a day to day basis.

Jan has been with Epilepsy Action for six years driving change, linking in with numerous agencies. Over the years, she has seen people differentiate and label socially important human differences according to certain pattern that include negative stereotypes, for example that people with epilepsy or other brain disease are a danger to others; and pejorative labelling, “disabled” and “epileptic”. In neurology, stigma primarily refers to a mark or characteristic indicative of a history of neurological disorder or condition and the consequent physical or mental abnormality. For most chronic neurological disorders, the stigma is associated with the disability rather than the disorder per se.

Jan also sits on the Neuroscience Board, representing the third sector with neurological conditions.

 

Public - Rest of England and Wales

John McClelland

Five years ago, after losing his wife to a brain tumour, John sold his business to concentrate on family. The last couple of years has seen him take on voluntary roles to give back, including a role as Non-Exec Director/Trustee for an Academy Trust with 14 schools, in addition to his role as a Governor for one.

Albert Weidemann

Albert has had first hand experience of The Walton Centres as a CPS (Chronic Pain Syndrome) patient. He said "Being a Governor gives me the opportunity to give back to the place and people who, frankly, saved my life. I wouldn't be here without their efforts, they put me back on track after my life swerved off the rails. They brought me memories I can still treasure and learn from even today, during an extremely challenging point in my life."

Staff Governors

Mr Andrew Brodbelt - Medical

Andrew Brodbelt is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at The Walton Centre and the lead for cancer at the Trust. He is passionate about The Walton Centre, and its role and development for the future.  

Louise Pate - Nursing

“The NHS is continually changing and it is essential that we work together to enhance staff, patient and family outcomes. I am recognised as being approachable, an excellent communicator, fair and empowering others to make a positive difference. I am extremely passionate about working at The Walton Centre and I believe that recognising equality, diversity and inclusion of staff is essential to support staff with protected characteristics so that they feel able to bring their whole selves to work.” 
Louise has worked at The Walton Centre for the last 21 years, spending the last two years as the Manager of the Outpatients Department, 17 years as Research Nurse and two years as a staff nurse on Dott Ward. This has given her a wealth of information and experience to support the delivery of outstanding care to patients and their families. She is a role model for others and strives for excellence within the clinical areas and has gained a gold outcome in her Walton CARES assessment.

Amanda Chesterton - Clinical

“I enjoy the opportunity to interact directly with our executive and non-executive team and developing a wider understanding of how the Trust operates. This in turn gives me more confidence in my organisation and the care that I can give to our patients.”
Amanda has completed one three year term as Governor and is also the Chair of the Membership and Engagement Committee. She has been a clinical lead Occupational Therapist at The Walton Centre since 2013. Amanda has worked for the NHS since 2003, after initially training and working in Australia. Prior to joining The Walton Centre, she was clinical lead OT for acute inpatients and the stroke unit in Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. In addition to her clinical role in The Walton Centre, she is the Practice Placement Coordinator for all OT students within the Trust. 

Helen Adlen - Non-Clinical

Helen has worked within the NHS for 21 years. She is committed to The Walton Centre and its values having worked at the Trust for nearly 18 years. She has a genuine interest in the NHS and have the ability to be an effective Governor. She hopes to help patients, their families, carers, workers, and local residents get better services and conditions at the Trust. Helen wants to help reshape how the Trust develops to meet future local need, tackle the stigma associated with mental illness and disabilities as part of my Mental Health First Aider and Freedom to Speak up role within The Walton Centre.

Partnership Governors

Melanie Worthington - Cheshire and Merseyside Neurological Alliance

“In my spare time I can be found in church yards and local historical archives searching for long lost ancestors, watching true crime, walking my dog and knitting, although not necessarily at the same time.”
I have over 20 years’ experience working and supporting people with neurological conditions. I work for the Motor Neurone Disease Association as the Service Development Manager for Cheshire, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester and West Midlands. My role involves working strategically with health and social care providers and commissioners with the aim of improving and developing services for people with MND. Prior to this, I worked as a Regional Care Development Adviser for the MND Association as a Service Development Officer with the MS Society and as a welfare officer and community team leader for Blind Veterans UK, covering the north west of England and also as a senior carers development worker for the Gaddum Centre, a charity based in Manchester, where she was responsible for developing carers support services across Bury.

Jane Johnson-Cree - Neurotherapy Centre North Wales:

As a Chartered Physiotherapist Jane has been involved in rehabilitation for over 38 years, working in a variety of settings within the NHS as well as in the private and voluntary sectors. She has been the senior physio and CEO of The Neuro Therapy Centre, based in Saltney, near Chester since 2012, where the mission is 'to improve the quality of life for people impacted by neurological conditions through tailored and inclusive services which support physical and emotional wellbeing'. The focus is on people living with degenerative neurological conditions, along with their carers, and the aim is to empower them through access to tailored exercise and wellbeing opportunities.

Jane has a wealth of experience around collaboration and believe that real partnership work can make positive change, which coupled with my understanding of these conditions and the insight into the challenges they pose allows me to champion the voice of the service user to try and ensure that services reflect their needs and are accessible.

Pippa Sargent - The Brain Charity

Pippa's work in public health has included posts with regional health boards, local authorities and as an advisor to England’s first national public mental health campaign, as well as academic honorary positions. She has focused on mental health improvement interventions at inpatient, community and population level, particularly around suicide, domestic abuse and wellbeing programmes. Campaigning for change has been a key component of this, including leading the North West campaign for smokefree policy change, as well as considerable work addressing the stigma experienced by people with serious health diagnoses. She has also led strategic large-scale public engagement programmes for NHS change, including patient involvement.

Pippa recently took office as Chief Executive Officer at The Brain Charity, leading a team with specialist knowledge and experiencing supporting people with the range of neurological conditions. The Brain Charity has been operating from its Liverpool HQ for 30 years and provides support to patients at The Walton Centre.

Charles Leek - Liverpool University

Charles is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool. She gained her PhD from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA and was had previously worked at the CNRS in Grenoble, France, and at Bangor University in Wales, prior to joining University of Liverpool in 2018 as Dean of the Institute of Life and Human Sciences, then as Deputy Executive Dean of the Institute of Population Health with the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Her main research interests are in the neuropsychology of cognitive function in the human brain.

Laura Lunn-Bates - Sefton Council

Laura was elected as one of Sefton Borough councillors in 2022 for the Labour Party representing Kew ward in Southport. 

She has a first-class Biology degree and is passionate NHS and equality campaigner. She also sits on Sefton councils' adult health and social care overview and scrutiny committee. In 2022 Laura was in Liverpool Echo's 30 under 30 for her work on promoting and supporting LBTQ+ equality. She has experience in taking part in democratic decisions through her councillor work.

Debbie Cooke - Liverpool City Council

Debbie has a DipSW and BA Hons in Social Work and Community Studies and a background of working with offenders for the Probation Service. She has worked supporting homeless people since starting with Local Solutions in 1992 and has been a member of Local Solutions Leadership team since 2006. Debbie is the councillor for Fazakerley East and also a Trustee of Merseyside Youth Association (MYA).

Amanda Miller - Edge Hill University 

Dr Amanda Miller is the Head of Simulation and Skills Education at Edge Hill University. Amanda joined Edge Hill University in October 2022 and is a Reader in Simulation. She qualified as a Children's Nurse in 1997 and before beginning her academic career worked in a variety of practice areas, including paediatric accident and emergency, children's community, and children’s oncology/haematology. In 2006, she joined the University of Salford as a Lecturer in Children and Young People’s Nursing and during her time there, completed her PhD and developed her expertise in the use of simulation-based education in healthcare.

Corporate Secretary

Tel: 0151 556 3477

Membership Manager

Tel: 0151 556 3484

Email: Nicola.Troy@nhs.net 

Page last updated: 26 February 2024