Your Healthwatch Rotherham Strategic Advisory Board is made up of volunteers with a wealth of experience in health and social care in Rotherham.
The board oversees the work of Healthwatch Rotherham, meeting every month to review our progress against the priorities we set and helping us make decisions about what to focus on.
The board meetings are minuted and are available to read on request. If you would like to receive the board minutes, please email info@healthwatchrotherham.org.uk or call us on 01709 717130.
We are currently recruiting for Strategic Advisory Board member volunteers.
Would you like to help make a difference to health and social care in Rotherham?
Meet our board members:
John Barber (Chair of the board)
I retired in July 2022 after a long career working for the NHS. I am an accountant by profession and my most recent role in the NHS was as a member of the Governing Body of NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group.
Since my retirement I have joined the Healthwatch Advisory Board and I have taken on the role of Chairman this year.We have an exciting plan to deliver which is focussed on the patient and user experience and feedback about the quality of local NHS and care services. I hope my knowledge of the local NHS from both a user and employee perspective can bring benefits to the work of Healthwatch and the contribution we make
I live in Rotherham and work with a number of local charities and public bodies.
Alison North
My name is Alison North, and I have been a nurse for 35 years. I work part time within Mental Health Services, specialising in Dementia Care in Rotherham. I also volunteer for the Alzheimer's Society.
I joined Healthwatch earlier this year to find out more about their independent role in how health and social care is delivered and used in Rotherham. Being a member of the board, meeting once a month, is interesting and rewarding. I get the option to get involved in engaging with people using services to gather their views on their experience. I am looking forward to getting involved in the forthcoming enter and view project which will be looking at the experience of people living within care home in Rotherham.
In my spare time, I love growing my own vegetables in the garden and riding a tandem bike around the UK with my husband.
Kathy Wilkinson
I work at Voluntary Action Rotherham as the Mental Health Provider Network Manager looking after groups in Rotherham who provide activities which help people with their mental Health. This can be a knit and natter group, fishing, walking group, even health and well being. Groups need support to obtain funding and remain part of the community. I have a passion for all things mental health related, and enjoy being able to support people to seek out opportunities to prevent worsening mental illness. I joined the Healthwatch advisory board so I could be a part of everything good about services in Rotherham and if anything isn't top notch, we can work to make it better.
Zanib Rasool
Dr Zanib Rasool, MBE
I am the partnership and development manager at Rotherham United Community Trust, and we do a lot of work around improving people’s health and well-being by increasing physical activity and reducing isolation.
Over the years, I have sat on a number of boards, bringing my knowledge of equality, diversity, and inclusion, being a voice for the community, and raising their issues at the highest level.
I look forward to contributing to the work of Healthwatch Rotherham.
Tony Swindells
Hello, I am Tony Swindells, I have been with my husband Michael for 28 years. I am involved
with The Rainbow Project based in Wath upon Dearne which is an LGBTQ+ peer support
group. We support people to become the best version of themselves no matter what that is.
I joined HealthWatch in November 2024 to understand their independent role in the delivery
of health and social care in the area and to be a voice for our community. I look forward to
learning more about how we can work together for the people of Rotherham.
Faith Ikioda
I am Faith Ikioda, a University Lecturer in Health and Social Care. I have a broad interest in issues around health inequalities, the take-up of digital health, and the important role of public health in health systems. I have recently joined Healthwatch to support the important work it does in liaising with the different services that offer health and social care services and giving voice to service users in Rotherham.