Our Board

Professor William Pope - Vice Chair

West Northamptonshire

Professor William Pope is the Chair of Connected Together CIC and is currently the interim chair of the Healthwatch Northamptonshire Board. He has a wealth of experience, leadership and expertise gained from senior roles within industry, the NHS and academia, including at chairman and chief executive level. He has significant experience of working with world-leading companies and organisations including BAE Systems, the BBC, BIS, BP, British Nuclear Fuels, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, Huawei, IBM, the NHS, Shell and Unilever, and was Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s largest integrated health, safety and environmental business for 10 years.  He has been one of the UK’s leaders in managing and developing environmental technology companies over the last 35 years, and is a four times winner of the “Technology Fast 50” awards for the fastest growing companies. Amongst other appointments he was previously director & Chairman of the East of England Regional Development Agency (2006-2012) and Northamptonshire & Milton Keynes Primary Care Trusts (2006-2013), and is now Chairman of the Board at Y&H Academic Health Science Partners (2014-date), a Board member (and now Chairman) at University Campus Suffolk (2014-date), Chairman of Healthwatch Northamptonshire (2013-17) and is a Board member (now Vice Chairman) of East Midlands Pathology (2012-date). Will was educated at St. Mary’s College, the University of Plymouth - where he was awarded the honour of “Best Student” by Prince Charles (1976) - and Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London; he has a 1st class honours degree in Environmental Science (1976), and is a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv 2004). He is a Fellow of the Institution of Environmental Sciences

Sheila White

North Northamptonshire

I worked as a teacher/head teacher/advisory teacher in Hertfordshire and Cornwall. From 1986 until 1993 managed the Small Schools Project across Cornwall. I moved to Northamptonshire in October 1999. Sadly, I lost my daughter Sue in 2014 and my husband Peter 2015. I was my husband’s Carer from 1989 until 2015. My son and grandson live in Northamptonshire. I have Cambridge Institute Certificate of Education, an Open University BA in Sociology and a Reading Development Diploma, a Rolle College Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies in Learning from the Integrated Curriculum and a Cambridge Institute Certificate ‘Exceptional Children in their Early Years’. I have been involved in Health and Social Care in a voluntary capacity since January 2004. Firstly, with Patient and Public Involvement Forums, then Local Involvement Networks and from 2013 with Healthwatch Northamptonshire (HWN).  With Healthwatch I have been involved in several pieces of work, primarily the 15 Steps Challenge Audits at Kettering General Hospital. More recently I represent HWN on the ICAN (Integrated Care Accross Northamptonshire) People Advisory Group, the East Northants Health and Wellbeing Board and the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Patient Safety Committee. I am also secretary of my GP Surgery Patient Participation Group. I am an elected Governor at Kettering General Hospital where I am the Governor representative on the Joint People Committee with Northampton General Hospital, the Governor Community and Engagement Group, the Safeguarding Steering Committee and the Patient Experience Steering Committee.

Dora Shergold

North Northamptonshire

I live in Wellingborough and have been the main carer for my husband. I have given up training, but have spent over 35 years as a first aider, alongside working in accounts as a credit controller. Over the years I have become very aware of a variety of levels of care and how that impacts on the individual being cared for and on their rate of recovery. I have been a member of Carers' Voice for over three years, a member of a Patient Engagement Group (PEG) for two years, and was formerly secretary of the Kettering and District Prostate Cancer Support Group. I have had a real sense of achievement when we have made a difference. I have advanced arthritis and am used by NHS as an ‘expert on disability’ to test premises for accessibility. I want to be part of the Healthwatch drive to improve health and social care.

Dr Marcella Daye

West Northamptonshire

Dr Marcella Daye is Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management and Co-Chair of the race equality network known as the Global Ethnic Majority at the University of Northampton.  As Co-Chair of the GEM, Marcella is the coordinator the annual Black in the Ivory conference at the University of Northampton which is held in observance of Black History Month. Marcella holds a Masters with distinction in Tourism Planning and Development and a Ph.D in Tourism Marketing from the University of Surrey.  Her research interests are in Place Branding, Risk Communication, Participatory Action Research and Race Equality. 

Ishver Patel 

North Northamptonshire

Ishver has worked in social care for over 40 years, moving into training and development and subsequently becoming Head of Organisation Development for one of the London authorities, overseeing training and development, across children and adult services. As an independent registered practice educator, he has supervised social work student placements, as part of their undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes and supervised/mentored newly qualified social workers during their first year in practice. He also supported the establishment of a Social Work Academy in one of the local authorities. As an independent organisation development consultant, he has worked across private, voluntary, and statutory sectors, delivering training. mentoring and coaching support. He is currently Patron to Better Lives Foundation, working in Sierra Leone and continues to support health and social care projects in UK and overseas. 

Susan Hills

North Northamptonshire

After a successful career in the world of information science and project management at the British Library, Susan moved into the NHS as Chair and subsequently Non-Executive Director of Primary Care Trusts in Northamptonshire.  She volunteered with Healthwatch Northamptonshire so that she could continue to help join up and improve the health and social care services provided locally. Susan has worked in the voluntary sector with the Citizens Advice Bureau, Northamptonshire Network 50+, and other organisations for some years.  She believes that the voluntary sector can provide a lot to help an individual have a more fulfilled, active and enjoyable life, and wants to further the work of the health professionals with the third sector. Susan is also a lay member with the Employments Tribunals service. She enjoys hill walking, going to the theatre and gardening.

Wendy Patel

West Northamptonshire

Wendy is a retired registered General Nurse with vast experience in nursing and management. She has a particular interest in bringing quality care into the workplace. She trained at Kettering General Hospital where she held a series of senior roles before moving to South Wales where she obtained a degree to teach nursing.  She has held a number of positions including Lead Nurse Education Independent Sector; Investigator of complaints in the health service and Investors in People Advisor. She undertakes a lot of voluntary work including work with the Samaritans, Healthwatch: 15 steps challenge at Kettering General Hospital as well as being a patient representative.

Caroline Gooch

West Northamptonshire

After working for 6yrs as a Ward Clerk at Princess Marina Hospital in the dementia assessment ward Caroline took her degree in Occupational Therapy graduating in 2011. She has worked within Age UK Northants (AUKN) since January 2012, initially managing volunteers before moving into roles managing paid staff. As Senior Coordinator for the Collaborative Care Team (CCT) she worked across Wellingborough, Kettering and East Northants. Receiving referrals from GP surgery staff: focussing on patients who needed support to access both statutory and voluntary sector services. Since April 2022 she has been a Senior Service Manager for AUKN with teams covering the county who visit people in their homes or their local community. They offer a similar type of broad support to the CCT. This includes the Age Well teams and Social Prescribing Link Workers across the GP surgeries in the North of the county.

Christine Drage

North Northamptonshire

I was a nurse at Kettering General Hospital for over 20 years.  After my first retirement I worked in Children Centres (Surestart) in Kettering, as a family support worker for 9 years. These positions made me realise there were so many obstacles that can occur in people’s lives. In the same manner that health can have a major impact on people so can other aspects of life.

Before I became a nurse, I had various jobs that fitted in with my home and family life.  I brought up my children and cared for older relatives, managing home, family and work responsibilities and challenges that everyone has throughout a lifetime.

In recent years I continue to enjoy sharing my life with my husband, being with my immediate family especially my children and grandchildren, meeting with my friends, volunteering and keeping myself active and busy.

I have been a volunteer with Healthwatch for nearly 10 years. My work and life experiences have made me understand how everyone is dependent on the support of others to lead a healthy and improved well-being. The voluntary bodies play a major role in his support and I have found that Healthwatch is a valuable vehicle to give my support to others. Healthwatch is involved in enhancing lives by research, listening to the public, communicating information on health and well-being and reporting issues to partners that can make a difference to everyone’s lives.

I see my role on the board as a way of continuing to make a positive impact to local people’s lives.