Published on: 9th June 2016
Newly appointed non-executive director Philip Jackson says the time is right to raise the profile of mental health services across Lincolnshire.
Philip joined LPFT's Board of Directors last month, and along with three other re-appointed colleagues, wants to spearhead continued quality improvements for patients and carers across the county.
A chartered chemist and seasoned health and safety practitioner, Mr Jackson currently works as a freelance consultant specialising in chemical safety and the transport of dangerous goods, and brings a wealth of previous NHS non-executive director experience with him.
On taking up his appointment he said he was really looking forward to getting to grips with his new role.
All public sector organisations, including the NHS, are going through challenging times. My experience is that they can rise to these challenges
, he said.
I want to bring my skills to the Board to help to continue to improve mental health services for patients, carers and families across the whole of Lincolnshire. We need to ensure that the Trust continues to focus on delivering the highest quality of care, whilst adapting to the necessary changes with other partners in the local health economy.
Non-executive directors sit on the full LPFT Board of Directors and are jointly responsible for setting its objectives and scrutinising its performance.
In NHS foundation trusts they serve terms of three years and can only serve a maximum of six years, which helps to ensure regular refreshing, independent challenge and new ideas.
Mr Jackson said that he was also excited to get out and about to meet Trust staff and patients to experience first-hand, the kind of services LPFT has to offer.
At last, mental health services are receiving the higher profile, both nationally and locally, that they deserve
, he added.
I look forward to working with the Board and staff to make sure we take advantage of this and continue to deliver first-class services across the county.
Along with Philip Jackson’s appointment, existing non-executive directors Mary Dowglass, Malcolm Burch and Tim Ludlow were all re-appointed to their roles for a further three years.
Trust Chair Paul Devlin said:
Philip’s appointment only helps to further bolster the vast experience we already have sitting on our Board of Directors. I would like to congratulate them all and look forward to working with them in the coming months. There is still much to do together to ensure that we offer the best standard of care possible for those who struggle with serious mental health problems in our communities.
