Meet the team & board

Gordon Kay - Healthwatch Croydon Manager

Email: gordon.kay@healthwatchcroydon.co.uk

Gordon became Healthwatch Croydon Manager in April 2018 having previously lead Marketing and Communications for Healthwatch Croydon since 2015. He is a marketing communications professional with over 20 years’ experience working in higher education, medical and healthcare, international education and tourism. He has previously worked at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Brighton, Study Group and VisitBritain. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Chartered Marketer.

Yinka Alowooja - Engagement Lead

Email: yinka.alowooja@healthwatchcroydon.co.uk

Yinka is a dynamic professional with over thirteen years’ experience coordinating office management and special projects with a high degree of efficiency within NHS, government departments, and project management environments. Her role is to lead on Engagement with communities and organisations across Croydon. Yinka was previously Executive Assistant from 2015 to 2018. She has worked for NHS Property Services at NHS East London and City. Yinka studied Marketing at London Metropolitan University and possesses a combination of finance, marketing and project management skillsets.

Robyn Bone - Volunteers and Partnership Lead

Email: robyn.bone@healthwatchcroydon.co.uk

Robyn is our Volunteer and Partnerships Lead responsible for managing and increasing our volunteer base and building strong partnerships with groups and organisations across Croydon. She was previously Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator from 2017 and first began work with us while completing her Bachelor’s degree with honours in Public Health and Social Care in 2016. Having retrained after raising her family. Robyn has experience as both a service user and in the provision of services in Croydon, having lived, worked and studied here. Her previous roles were in care, substance misuse and public health settings in the borough for a range of services.

Jeet Sandhu - Commuinications Lead

Email: jeet.sandhu@healthwatchcroydon.co.uk

Jeet is our Communications Lead responsible for all aspects of promoting Healthwatch Croydon in the community and connecting with residents. Jeet previously worked within the Private sector in digital marketing and communications, and is exciting about working for Healthwatch Croydon.

Edwina Morris | Board Chair

Edwina Morris | Board Chair I am really pleased to have been selected as a Board member of Healthwatch Croydon’s Local Leadership Board, and honoured to hold the position of chair of the Board. As a recently retired qualified social worker who has held senior management positions in several London local authorities, mainly in adult social care, and has worked closely with elected members, council and health colleagues, I am looking forward to working with staff, volunteers, Board members and local residents to ensure that Healthwatch Croydon influences local health and care services in order to improve the experiences of and outcomes for local people.

Martin Faiers - Deputy Chair

Martin Faiers | Board Deputy Chair I am looking forward to my membership of the Croydon Leadership Board as it reflects my interests in promoting the voice of service users and carers in health and social care within the Borough of Croydon. Although I have a career background in adult mental health services I have been self-employed since 1992 as a training and management consultant and executive coach working principally in the statutory and charity sectors. I have also worked as a volunteering best practice adviser and hope that this, together with my mental health experience, will prove of specialist value in this new role.

Pat Knight - Board Member

Pat Knight | Board Member My professional background is in further education where I taught modern history and later in my career organised additional support. Since retiring, I have engaged in voluntary work mostly health and care related. In addition to volunteering at Healthwatch Croydon, I joined the One Croydon Alliance over 65s service user group, participating in the development of the Personal Independent Co-ordinator service and the LIFEct discharge to assessment project. I sit on the Croydon Carers Partnership and am a member of my PPG as well as a trustee of Citizens Advice Croydon. My specific interests include patient experience and services in dementia and mental health. The Croydon Health and Care Plan offers Healthwatch Croydon new opportunities to influence and monitor. I very much look forward to working with the board, staff and volunteers on this and other engagement work.

Brian Matthews - Board Member

Brian Matthews | Board Member Brian qualified as a pharmacist and obtained a Ph D in Pharmaceutics at the University of London. He worked in the British government service (first with the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and then with the medicines licensing authority) before joining the pharmaceutical industry, responsible for the approval for marketing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals. After retirement, he continued as a consultant and expert witness to the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. After full retirement he has volunteered in a number or organisation including Healthwatch Croydon, The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, The Society of Antiquaries, Two Temple Place and the Imperial War Museum (particularly at the Churchill War Rooms and at the Lambeth site of the museum).

Anantha Ramaswamy - Board Member

Anantha Ramaswamy | Board Member I am a Pharmaceuticals Professional with over 30 years of broad experience across the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Generic sectors and is now a self-employed Regulatory Management Consultant. I had previously worked for Smithkline Beechams (now GSK) as an Analytical scientist and my last position was with Ipsen Pharmaceuticals as Regulatory Management Professional.I have detailed knowledge of European Regulatory as well as UK Regulatory and liaised with MHRA (Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Agency) and IMB (Irish Medicines Board) in acquiring product licences for pharmaceutical/biotechnogy companies. I have also involved in Health Technolgy Assessments (NICE), including submissions and appeal negotiations. I also worked as a volunteer for Healthwatch WAM (Windsor/Ascot/Maidenhead) during 2015-17 and involved in projects such as Enter&View visits for “Asssistance to eat and drink study”, patient experience of hospital discharge and series of visits to care homes for older people in the Royal borough of Windsor/Ascot/Maidenhead. I believe in promoting patient engagement by providing adequate information to support self-management. I believe in social prescribing supports positive change in relationship between patients, carers, communities and healthcare workers. I am very much looking forward to be part of Croydon Healthwatch Leadership Board and in contributing to policy and strategic direction of Healthwatch Croydon as well as attending key meetings to help and influence to improve Croydon communities Health and Social care.

Tariq Salim - Board Member

Tariq Salim | Board Member I am on this board to contribute as best I can to a worthwhile activity. I’ve been in Croydon since 1972. I started in Civil Engineering, working first in Transportation Planning and then in Bridge and Highway design and supervision of construction, then became an IT man, in Data Architectures and databases in banking. I became a consultant in IT Architecture and Strategy, working internationally with major organisations, at board level on very large projects with final responsibility. My parent’s illness brought me into contact with the NHS and I joined Healthwatch Croydon in January 2016. I am trustee/director at Mind in Croydon, acting Vice-chair SWL IUC Public Participation Group, member Croydon Safer Neighbourhood Board (being reconstituted), member Croydon Community Forensic Mental Health Working Group, and member GP PPG.