North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has announced the appointment of new governors following its recent elections.
Three new public governors and one staff governor have joined the Trust’s Governors Council, alongside one re-elected governor whose term had ended.
The new public governors are Michael Sydney representing Allerdale, Russell Norman representing Carlisle, and Richard (Rikki) Carnegie representing Eden.
Jessie McCarron has been appointed as a new staff governor for Allerdale and Copeland.
George Butler, representing Furness and South Lakeland, was re-elected to continue his role on the council. He brings nine years of experience as a public governor across two Foundation Trusts, including four years as Deputy Lead Governor.
Butler trained as a nurse at the Cumberland Infirmary and later returned to South Cumbria as Director of Nurse Education and Vice-Principal of Lakeland College of Nursing and Midwifery. He holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Community and Health Ethics.
He said his focus as a governor is on providing the best care for patients through an appropriately skilled workforce and ensuring systems are in place to support this. He also supports the social care model being introduced to make hospital-to-home transitions more seamless.
In addition to his healthcare experience, Butler has 13 years’ service as a magistrate, chairing both Family and Adult courts, and has worked as a tutor with the Open University and as an independent member of Eden District Council.
The appointments bring the total number of governors, including public, staff, and partner representatives, to 22.
Steven Morgan, Chair of the Trust, said the Governors Council plays a “crucial role in connecting with our communities, as they represent the views of local people and give them a voice, providing us with a vital link to the people we serve.”
He added: “I’d like to congratulate the successful candidates who will be joining the Trust and those who have been re-elected. They all possess valuable experience and knowledge that will be useful to the Trust, the Board and our communities. The senior leadership team look forward to working closely with them.”
The new governors officially take up their roles from October 1. They will represent local communities, provide input on the Trust’s services, and contribute to planning at Governors Council meetings.
Governors have statutory duties that include appointing external auditors, selecting non-executive directors including the chair, and agreeing remuneration levels.
The new governors’ terms of office will run for three years.
