Two new Public Governors have been elected onto Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s Council of Governors to represent the interests of Trust members and the local population.

Martin Dennys has been elected as Public Governor for Harrogate and Surrounding Villages and John Batt has been elected as Public Governor for Knaresborough and East District.

Following his election to the Trust’s Council of Governors, Martin said: “I want to contribute to and help guide the Trust to provide the best possible healthcare to my local community. I have a lot of personal, family and professional experience with the NHS, that I feel I can draw upon to represent my fellow residents.”

John said: “Having previously been a Governor with another NHS trust and a Forum Member with Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, I felt I could use this experience to contribute to the Trust.

“Governors come from a wide range of employment and social backgrounds, and are able to bring fresh ideas and experience to the NHS, helping it to improve and maintain the excellent standards we currently experience.”

Pamela Allen, Deputy Chair of the Council of Governors, said: “We are delighted to welcome both Martin and John as our new elected Public Governors. We also welcome Helen Stewart, new Staff Governor, who will be representing her fellow Nursing and Midwifery colleagues.

“The Council of Governors represents the interests of members and the general public, and provides a link between the Trust and the community it serves. Governors undertake statutory duties which include holding the Non-Executive Directors to account for the performance of the Board. We look forward to working together and supporting the Trust’s mission to be an exceptional provider of healthcare for the benefit of our communities, our staff and our partners.”

To find out more about when future elections to the Trust’s Council of Governors take place, visit https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/about/council-of-governors/governor-elections/ or contact the Foundation Trust Office on 01423 554489. Those who wish to become a Governor must be a member of the Trust – it is free and easy to join online at https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/about/membership/.