Susan Bennett - Core Member

Susan Bennett, M.Phil, developed an interest in healthcare associated infections, and in particular reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections, following her experiences of healthcare after developing spinal problems.

Susan was a trustee of the Bladder and Bowel Foundation (formerly Incontact) for 8 years. She is currently a lay member of the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE) Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee and  NICE Medical Technology Advisory Committee; previously a member of NICE Faecal Incontinence Clinical Guideline development group and NICE/NPSA pilot Patient Safety Advisory Committee. Susan is a member of Royal Association for Disability Rights (RADAR) and Spinal Injuries Association.

Jennifer Bostock - Core Member

Jennifer's interest in HCAIs arouse following the sad death of a friend from an infection after routine surgery & she has a mobility disability which requires frequent stays in hospital herself.  She has many years experience working in and outside the NHS and in academic research and has studied HCAI's in her local hospital. 

She is a former service user involvement (SUI) manager in the NHS and is currently an SUI Consultant working in mental health.  Jennifer has first class under and postgraduate qualifications in psychology, philosophy and psychiatry and is a former Wellcome Trust Biomedical Ethics Prize Scholar and has published in the academic, mainstream and specialist press. 

She currently works as a Mental Health Act Commissioner for the Care Quality Commission and as a Mental Health and SUI Trainer.  She is also employed as a General Practice Assessor examining the quality and performance of GPs across the UK for the Royal College of GPs and for an LLP.  Jennifer has served for the past 5 years as a Lay Member of an NHS Research Ethics Committee and is now a Lead Reviewer and Trainer for committee members.  She is a Peer Reviewer for the NIHR and a Lay Member of the i4i and Research for Patient Benefit programmes.  Jennifer is also an independent Mental Health Act Manger hearing legal appeals from patients detained under the mental health act. 

 David Britt - Core Member

On leaving school David spent several years working in biomedical science at two London Teaching Hospitals, mainly in bacteriology. A growing interest in education caused him to undertake teacher training where after he taught in secondary and then Further and Higher Education institutions in the UK and overseas. Much of the teaching was of healthcare professionals. David also engaged in research in aspects of medical and veterinary microbiology and parasitology.

Following the abrupt curtailment of an appointment at Kuwait University, David returned to England and began working for the British Council as Health Sciences Consultant, furthering an interest in International Health. To this day he continues as an external advisor to the Council mainly recommending placements for overseas scholarship students.

In 1997 David suffered a stroke and in the aftermath became interested in service user involvement in the NHS. Voluntary activity led to a post as part-time Research Governance Administrator at a Liverpool NHS Tertiary Centre, a post he relinquished last October.
 

Helen Bronstein - Core Member

Helen became interested in reducing HCAIs when her mother died after contracting MRSA. She is interested in a range of issues including communication between patients, their families and healthcare workers, the patient experience and empowerment of patients.

Through her work as a civil servant, where she manages a specialist team, Helen has developed a number of skills relevant to research including working with the public and interviewing skills.

She has recently been appointed as a Trustee of MRSA Action UK and has also been involved with The Patient's Association.

 Maria Cann - Core Member

Maria is a founding member of the charity MRSA Action UK which was formed in October 2005 after a group of people had been brought together through being affected by MRSA. The mission of MRSA Action UK is to raise public awareness and to influence Government and healthcare providers in the fight to prevent MRSA and all healthcare infections.

Maria’s background is in coordinating and assessing consultations with service users, both in her charity work and experience in local government. She responded to the Department of Health on the regulation of “Action on Healthcare Associated Infections in England” and to the Healthcare Commission on “Developing the Annual Health Check”.

Maria takes part in and analyses surveys involving patients and people receiving services in social care and housing. She has worked in quality assurance roles and is involved as a stakeholder in the Department of Health’s work in the "Clean, Safe, Care Programme", and the design of patient information.

Maria is a member of the Healthcare Commission’s Expert Reference Group, assessing regulation in the Acute and Primary Care setting ensuring compliance with the Hygiene Code.

Maria is also involved in work informing National Patient Safety Agency’s "Patient Empowerment Programme", on research conducted by the Imperial College London, and welcomes the opportunity to peer-review research papers, and to become involved in further research work.
 
Olivia Freeman - Core Member

Olivia is a Library & Information Researcher and for over 20 years she was Head of Business Information at HSBC Bank.  She worked as a freelance trainer, researcher and information management specialist, specialising in the business area. Olivia was very active in professional groups and has held various executive positions.  She spoke regularly at conferences and has published many articles.

Since 2001, she has built up a portfolio of voluntary activity concentrating on local

initiatives to improve health care.

She has previously acted as a trustee for a local GP Patients’ Group; been a member of the Patient & Public Involvement Forum for Hammersmith Hospitals Trust and is currently a member of Hammersmith & Fulham LINK.

Olivia is a patient representative on the PEAT Co-ordination Committee for Imperial Healthcare Trust (IHT). The committee undertakes regular inspections of the cleanliness and environment of hospital sites in rotation. She is also a patient representative on the Medicine Clinical Programme Group for the PEAT Committee for IHT.

Clare Poulton - Core Member

Ann Russell - Core Member

Ann started her career as a Social Worker then moved into personnel work, holding the post of HR Director at ChildLine for 6 years. She then became HR Director of a large charity employing more than 1,000 people and providing educational, recreational and residential services for children and adults with learning difficulties. In each of her professional roles she has represented individuals and organisations at national level, working with fellow professionals and Government Ministers on a range of issues.

Ann’s interest in health service issues resulted from her diagnosis and treatment for cancer three years ago. Her passion has always been in improving communication at all levels - within research she considers the dissemination of findings to the widest range of people and organisations to be a key issue. She also brings valuable insights from the perspective of being a ‘research participant’ to her work with SURF.

Ann is a consumer member of the National Cancer Research Network and National Colorectal Cancer Research group and a member of her local LINK.

Dr Patrick Thompson - Core Member

Patrick is involved with a number of organisations as a patient and lay representative. He is currently Chairman of Norfolk LINk, NHS Great Yarmouth & Waveney Health Trainers Steering Group and Norwich & District Osteoporosis Group. He is a Trustee of Waveney Counselling Service and Trustee (Hon treasurer) of international charity  Toc H.

Patrick’s interest in reducing HCAIs commenced with his work to support The James Pagent Hospital’s response to a C.difficile outbreak.

He is a member of the NHS Norfolk Board, sub member for NHS Great Yarmouth & Waveney and a member representative for Norfolk Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee. He also acts as a representative on the Governors Council for James Paget Hospital and is a SHA Acute Service Programme Board member