The Board of Healthwatch Lancashire comprises Non-Executive Directors who are responsible for ensuring effective governance of the organisation and strategic direction.
Healthwatch Lancashire board members and members of the Senior Management Team sit as non voting members on the governing bodies of six Clinical Commissioning Groups in the catchment area of Lancashire County Council.
In addition, our Non-Executive Directors represent Healthwatch Lancashire at a variety of meetings and forums.
The Interim Chair of the Healthwatch Lancashire board is Steve Rigby.
Board meetings
Board meetings of Healthwatch Lancashire Ltd are held in public at our offices in Leyland, on a quarterly basis.
Alex started his career working in the voluntary sector initially as a Youth and Community worker in Northern Ireland and then for Shelter in the North East of England. ... /> Since 2001, Alex has worked as an interim manager...more
Alex started his career working in the voluntary sector initially as a Youth and Community worker in Northern Ireland and then for Shelter in the North East of England. ... /> Since 2001, Alex has worked as an interim manager and independent consultant. His work has included developing housing and homelessness strategies with partners and service users. He has also worked closely with health and social care colleagues on Better Care Higher Standards Charters and Supporting People strategies.
Alex is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and since 2002, has been a member of the First Tier Tribunal (Local Government Standards). less
Gail Godson
Gail trained locally in Lancashire as a nurse, and has more than 35 years of experience in the health care service, primarily within the NHS as a clinician and Senior Manager.
In 2012 Gail and her husband opened a...more
Gail trained locally in Lancashire as a nurse, and has more than 35 years of experience in the health care service, primarily within the NHS as a clinician and Senior Manager.
In 2012 Gail and her husband opened a new care company, ‘Home Instead Senior Care West Lancashire and Chorley, offering high quality care services that are based around tailored care plans, respect and dignity. In 2014, they were one of the first three adult social care services in England to be judged ‘Outstanding’ under the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new ‘Ofsted style’ approach to inspection and regulation. less
John Fell
John is a retired accountant who ran offices in Southport and Lancaster until 2015. He is currently chair of Southport College and is a trustee with particular focus on the finance function of a number of other charities. He is...more
John is a retired accountant who ran offices in Southport and Lancaster until 2015. He is currently chair of Southport College and is a trustee with particular focus on the finance function of a number of other charities. He is married to Veronica (known as Ronnie) and they have between them seven children and five grandchildren. What energy he has left he spends singing with the local church choir and walking in the Lakes and Scotland. less
Steve Rigby
Steve trained as a teacher but decided to move into sport and leisure management after University.
He worked in four different North West local authorities and was promoted to Chief Officer in Blackburn with Darwen, leading a team responsible for...more
Steve trained as a teacher but decided to move into sport and leisure management after University.
He worked in four different North West local authorities and was promoted to Chief Officer in Blackburn with Darwen, leading a team responsible for managing all the authority's leisure centre, libraries and cultural facilities until his retirement.
Steve has extensive experience working with the voluntary sector, private sector and in direct partnership with the NHS.
He has been a Director on not-for-profit boards and was the Chair of Governors at Myerscough College completing his term of office in 2017.
Steve became the Interim Chair of the Healthwatch Lancashire Board in 2018. less
Davina Hanlon
Davina is a recent Healthwatch Lancashire volunteer and a consultant in Public Health having held a number of public health roles across the NHS in Lancashire and Cheshire and now in a Merseyside local authority. The emphasis of Davina’s work...more
Davina is a recent Healthwatch Lancashire volunteer and a consultant in Public Health having held a number of public health roles across the NHS in Lancashire and Cheshire and now in a Merseyside local authority. The emphasis of Davina’s work is about putting prevention centre-stage and focusing on protecting and improving the health of local communities. Davina brings a wealth of experience working across health and social care partnerships from a commissioning perspective. Davina has also held roles within the social housing and regeneration sector across the North West. She is a member of the Faculty of Public Health. less