foundation News
Governors in the spotlight after nine years of service Four Governors reflect on their time serving the needs of Members and patients at The Royal Marsden
Tony Hazeldine
ince the inauguration of The Royal Marsden as a NHS Foundation Trust in 2004, four Governors have been a constant force in representing the needs of Members on the Trust’s Council of Governors. In April, Tony Hazeldine (Public, Sutton & Merton), Dr James Laxton (Patient, East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey), Sally Mason (Patient, Elsewhere in England) and Professor Ian Smith (Staff, Doctor) will have served the maximum possible tenure of nine years. Sam Greenhouse, Head of the Foundation Trust Office, said: “On behalf of the Trust, I would like to thank Tony, Jim, Sally and Ian for their dedication, commitment and support throughout their time as Governors. They have helped to ensure that The Royal Marsden is challenged to maintain its work as a world-leading cancer centre.” But how has the experience of the past nine years been for our dedicated foursome?
S
Dr James Laxton
What words best describe your time as a Governor?
TH: Pride and rewarding. JL: Informative and enjoyable. SM: Privilege, involvement and insight. IS: Interesting and constructive.
What has been the highlight?
TH: My involvement in the appointment of the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors, the integration of the Sutton and Merton Community Services and the revision of the Constitution following the enactment of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. JL: It’s been an informative period and I’ve gained an understanding of the workings of the hospital. Being involved in projects such as CyberKnife and endoscopy and in clinical trials of prostate cancer has allowed me to gain a true behind-the-scenes perspective. SM: The rebuilding of the Chelsea site, following the devastating fire in January
Sally Mason
2008. The Trust Board had the vision to use it as an opportunity to improve and rebuild parts of the hospital. IS: Revising the Constitution has been an exciting highlight.
How has The Royal Marsden changed during your tenure?
TH: I have seen so many groundbreaking developments in cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and care, including CyberKnife, the da Vinci surgical robot, the construction of the Oak Centre for Children and Young People and the development of personalised treatment for every patient through the Translational Genetics Laboratory and the Centre for Molecular Pathology. The hospital has become even more patientorientated and communitycentred too, with membership involvement through the Council of Governors as a matter of course. JL: Technological advances over the past 15 years have
Professor Ian Smith
led to drastic improvements in the development of medicine and medical equipment. The Trust has embraced this, resulting in more effective, modern treatments. SM: The Royal Marsden has become even more outwardlooking with several external developments, including a Chemotherapy Day Care Unit at Kingston Hospital, the provision of Sutton & Merton Community Services and an Acute Oncology Service with local hospitals in southwest London, all of which help to bring the hospital’s expertise closer to patients’ homes. On the research side, The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research now have an academic partnership with Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to collaborate on programmes to find new and better ways to treat cancer patients. IS: It has been a time of change and expansion at both the Chelsea and Sutton sites, with greatly improved facilities for service delivery and research.
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20/02/2013 16:51