Our Board

Our Board

Judith Bromfield

Judith started her career in the civil service before being involved in both the community health councils and public health.

She has been Chief Officer of Richmondshire CVS for 10 years, and has a good understanding of the needs and issues faced by rural communities.

Judith is committed to supporting and enabling effective dialogue between service providers, service users and the general public and an advocate of community participation in shaping and influencing health and social care.

Agnes Crutchard

Over the past 10 years, I have been working for an organisation based in the Yorkshire healthcare sector, specialised in the assessment and management of new medical technology, in support of ideas originating from the NHS, developed by healthcare professionals to improve clinical practice.

My expertise resides in evaluating the clinical and market value of these technologies, using market intelligence information, and compiling reports to advise healthcare teams on the potential benefits of such technologies in improving care and benefiting the NHS.

Through these roles, I have built close collaborations with NHS organisations in Yorkshire (North, South, West Yorkshire and Craven), academics and industry, all involved in the development of solutions to improve patient care. This has also enabled me to witness the impact that technology can have in improving the delivery of care and has given me an insight into the way these organisations provide services to patients.

Prior to this, I worked for nearly 10 years, for an international geopolitics and clean tech company, developing new technologies to improve people’s lives.

I live at the crossroad between North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, where I have been involved for more than 10 years in the community life through support of local fundraising initiatives, destined to improve the life of children (e.g. equipment for schools and play areas). After a three-year break, I am now ready to return to voluntary work in a role which I find fulfilling, to gain a better knowledge of patients' and public expectations of their health and care system, and to give my time to support them in accessing and benefiting from such systems to improve their lives.

John Cunningham

John has 25 years expertise in geopolitics and clean tech project development. He has vast international experience, having operated across the US, Middle East, FSU, Europe and Africa. He has a successful track record in raising funds for and the development of innovative technology and has project-managed in Africa, the US and Europe. A geo-political expert, he has worked closely with financial groups and private equity advising them on risk mitigation overseas and the development of their investment portfolios, with particular reference to emerging markets.

Robert Peacock

I am very pleased to be a lay member of the Healthwatch Board and use my career experience working in the NHS and working with many organisations that support health and social care. I started my career as a radiographer in Sheffield and closely involved in major advances in diagnostic techniques such as ultrasound, CT, MRI and digital x-ray. 

I am passionate about patient choice and that health professionals recognise the importance of patient centred care. I am a member of our GP practice Patient Participation Group, CCG Patient Representation Group, Parish Councillor and Basics Plus management board. I am also heavily involved with building community and volunteer links across the Derwent Valley area through the BRIDGE Community Resource Centre based in West Ayton.

Bev Proctor

For more than 30 years Bev's career has largely spanned the health system in delivering, leading and managing care in hospital and hospice services and community (out of hospital) provision.

Prior to joining the Independent Care Group - where she is Chief Executive/Operations Director - Bev has worked across health and social care leading on patient flow and safety whilst developing a broad understanding of how 2 care systems function.

A Registered Nurse by background, Bev has worked her way up from the front line to more strategic/leadership roles in health and social care. Taking the opportunity to move into a more social care-focused role became a natural step in her career following a shift within the system to work in a more joined-up way.

On a personal level, Bev describes her commitment to influencing and shaping communities' health and social wellbeing as being at the core of everything she does, being curious, quizzical and imagining the art of the possible.
Partnership working is central to achieving these aims and relationship-building across all sectors drives her ambitions to serve our communities.

Amongst other groups, Bev is a member of the North Yorkshire & York Safeguarding Adults Boards, Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Steering Group (York & North Yorkshire) and Chairs the Care Alliance for Workforce Development (social care).

Pat Southgate

I am a retired nurse of 44 years, experienced in many nursing roles. The last 30 years working as a Community Public Health nurse, working with families and their communities.

I have also held several strategic/Board level roles within large NHS organisations in Acute Care, Mental Health, Community,  Primary Care, and several years working for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC,  nursing’s regulatory body, as a member of their Fitness To Practice Panels, and latterly as a NMC Council Board member for England, elected by my peers. I am currently a Board member, York Housing Association, and until recently, a Local Authority Governor of Sheriff Hutton school.

I am a volunteer within York and Scarborough NHS hospital Trust, and also Martin House Hospice.

Throughout my varied professional experience,  I have recognised that ‘health inequalities’ are ultimately differences in the status of people’s health, however fundamentally its the social, economic and environmental conditions in which people live that impact on their health, Covid 19 has certainly highlighted these underpinning health inequalities.

Healthwatch, nationally and locally, aims to act as an independent champion for people who use health and social care services. I am proud to contribute my varied experience, to support the delivery of this aim.