Over the past few months, we have been introducing you to members of our Board of Executives to showcase the importance of the work from our Board and shine the spotlight on some of the decisions they make and the challenges we face as an organisation.
Meet Carmen Drinkwater, a non-executive director at the NCA. Carmen brings a wealth of experience around our people agenda having worked in HR and organisational development roles at a range of different organisations. Most notably this includes working for the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for ten years based in the north-west - and for facilities management company Sodexo based in Salford before joining the NCA in 2019.
Carmen is the wellbeing guardian for our Trust and ensures our Board maintains focus on the wellbeing of our people, our patients, and the communities we serve. Alongside this Carmen is the board member for Freedom to Speak Up a role which she is passionate about. She said: “It is really important that colleagues can raise concerns that they may not be comfortable raising with their team, other colleagues, or their manager. This way they can raise concerns and feel that somebody will listen to them and do something about their concerns.”
Carmen also spends some time each month on the wards at Salford as a volunteer Patient Dining Companion.
Reflecting on the NCA’s achievements over the past 12 months Carmen explained the importance of some fantastic buildings taking shape which offer new services that will be available for Greater Manchester communities and beyond. She said: “I think about the Community Diagnostic Centre in Oldham and the way that services can now be delivered, and patients can get a very different experience. It is a real thing to be proud of and it won’t be the last development either.”
View the full interview with Carmen below.