Meet the board
Meet your local healthwatch board members.
Chair: Vanda Thomas
Vanda has worked within the Redbridge health community for a number of years and previously worked for Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge former Primary Care Trusts. As a non-executive member of the National Patients Network, she provided professional advice on NHS complaints and PALS procedures. She has experience in formulating policy, NHS complaints management and investigation, health information and strategic development. Vanda currently works as an equality and diversity lead for a national health professions Regulator and is directly involved in developing equality and diversity policies and procedures.
Mike New
Mike is a retired Chief Officer for a Local Authority (inner London Borough), working with Central Government on strategic developments involving urban regeneration. Mike brings with him his skills and experience for finance, strategy and project development. Mike is an active member of the Redbridge Community and sits on his local Patient Participation Group.
Athena Daniels
Athena has been involved with various Pan London and local Groups and serviced or chaired numerous committees and Boards including Redbridge Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), Committee member of Redbridge Professionals Carers’ Group, School Governor for Hatton School, and Named Person for Redbridge Education She is a founding member and current Vice Chair of Supporting Together those with Autism and Aspergers in Redbridge (STAAR). She has been a researcher in psychiatry, health promotion manager, DAAT Co-ordinator and User/Carer Lead Officer, health improvement specialist and commissioner. She is supporting the development of the Redbridge Autism Strategy as parent/carer representative on the Autism Strategy Group.
Lorraine Silver
Lorraine is an active member within the local Redbridge community. She has a long commitment to volunteering and is currently involved in many health and social care organisations as committee member on the BHRUT, Chair of ONEL People’s Platform, and many other health and social care organisations. As a volunteer advocate with a local User Led Organisation; Lorraine has experience of working with disabled people in support of benefits advice, housing and employment issues. For the last ten years she has been the Chair of the Cranbrook Residents Association.
Mo Dedat
Mo is a member of the Board of Trustees for Age UK Hounslow and Treasurer of Gardens of Peace, an Ilford based Charity. In both organisations, he has overall budgetary control and financial governance. His broad business experience covers IT, HR marketing and Project Management gained over the last 25 years. Mo is a Chartered Accountant.
Glynis Donovan
Glynis has been the Executive Director of Redbridge Carers Support Services since 2005 and has been involved in health activism from a user and carer perspective since the early 1980’s, when she co-founded national women’s health and women’s reproductive rights organisations.
She was previously the Chief Officer of Islington and Waltham Forest Community Health Councils and was a Senior Manager for the Department of Health in their Patient and Public Involvement Department, managing Community Health Council’s London-Wide until they were abolished and replaced by Patient Forums. Glynis then went on to manage NHS property in London and the south east, before joining Redbridge Carers Support Service.
Glynis is passionate about patient, public and carers’ rights and is a key member of several strategic committee’s in Redbridge.