Minna Korjonen - Interim Chair
Minna, our Interim Board Chair, is an experienced public representative who has held many roles as a member, vice chair, and chair at committees and boards within different organisations, both locally and nationally.
She is serving on several NHS committees and boards, including as Chair of the MSK Services PPG, the NHS National Same Day Emergency Policy and Quality Marking Group, Dental Review committee, as Governor of NHS Trust NWL, and member of the Learning Disabilities Partnership Steering Board and End-of-Life Care Partnership Steering Board. She is also serves as a member of the Council of Governors Nominations and Remuneration Committee, and as Peer Leader for the NHS National Peer Leadership Network.
Through these commitments, Minna has formed strong relationships with stakeholders and decisionmakers. She has actively shared her professional network and connections over the years, connecting Healthwatch with hard-to-reach communities, local groups, and a wider network on a national level.
“As the Healthwatch Advisory Board, we work positively and constructively to support the Healthwatch Team’s strategy and research initiatives. It is vital that we all share our skills, experiences, and concerns, bring a collective voice within our communities to the Advisory Board. Doing so, it enables us to make changes that are needed to our residents using health and social care services”.
Anna Velkova
Anna, a longtime resident of Westminster, has been a volunteer for Healthwatch Westminster and Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea for more than 6 years, and has been on the Westminster Advisory Board since 2022.
As a Board member, she actively engages with her local community to bring us insights into their health and social care needs. She has also aided us and taken part in our projects, by participating in outreach and data collection as Community Champion.
Gaynor Aaltonen
Gaynor is a Westminster resident, who has recently joined our Advisory Board. She has a strong interest in social prescribing and currently works with the interventions specialists Intelligent Health.
A journalist by training, Gaynor’s interest in health was cemented after working for a number of years at Public Health England as its Chief Scientific Writer. Through this work, she contributed to projects across many different divisions and on many different issues, from mental health to social inequalities; access to green space and the health effects of social isolation.
Her experience on a range of health issues from a statistical and policy perspective contrasts and complements the community experience of other members of the Healthwatch Westminster Advisory Board, serving as a useful counterweight. She also has experience delivering healthcare interventions first-hand, as she has worked as a vaccinator during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Suvina Salins
Suvina has over a decade’s experience working in the private and not for profit sector as a people management specialist. She has worked internationally and, in the UK, creating sustainable people management solutions. Suvina has academic qualifications in HR and project management. She currently serves as a Justice of Peace in the local community.
As an Advisory Board member, Suvina brings a wealth of knowledge in engaging with communities & has a profound commitment to improving healthcare equity.
Cass J. Cass-Horne
As a member of Healthwatch Westminster, I am dedicated to amplifying patient voices within our healthcare services. My background as a Senior NHS Health Advisor equips me with extensive knowledge of NHS operations. From 2009 to 2012, I served as a Patient Governor, advocating for improved care standards and successfully increasing membership during the merger of two trusts.
My personal experience as a patient at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has provided me with valuable insights into the necessity of patient-centred care.
Having worked within diverse international health systems, I understand how to tailor services to better meet community needs. My expertise in Human Resources and Advisory roles further enhances my contributions as a Public Governor. I firmly believe that all patients deserve respectful, equitable treatment, and their perspectives are vital to guiding our decisions.
Since joining Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in 2003, I have shown unwavering commitment in various roles, culminating in my position as a Public Governor for Westminster. Alongside my qualifications, I hold an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. My journey as a cancer patient intensifies my passion for advocacy, particularly for patients with disabilities, driving my commitment to the healthcare sector.
Fay Sandler
Photo and bio to follow
Poornima Devi
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Past Board papers
We make the papers for our public Board meetings available online. We also publish the meeting minutes, which give a summary of what was discussed. You can download these here.