Kath BellRest of England and Wales
Kath has been a governor since 2009 and is a retired registered general nurse. She is committed to ensuring that patients are at the forefront of healthcare, are treated with dignity and respect, listened to and given the best possible healthcare.
Kath currently works with the Care Quality Group, the UHB School of Nursing Committee and the Solihull Patient Carer and Community Council. She has and previously worked on patient experience, finance and constitution committees. Kath has also worked with governors to write reports on the Heartlands Maternity Unit and children’s wards.
She supports the Solihull Cancer Support Group, plus local and national thyroid groups, with an interest in the leading causes of illness including stroke, heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, obesity and thyroid conditions.
Kath has previously worked with thyroid groups and the British Thyroid Association on a serious thyroid medication issue that resulted in a House of Lords debate with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requesting a dossier of information. This resulted in a change in the NICE Guidance and guidance from NHS England and the Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee for thyroid patients.
Kath is the Local Coordinator for the British Thyroid Foundation (BTF) West Midlands and provided telephone support before, during and after COVID-19 lockdowns, receiving hundreds of calls from thyroid patients needing support.