Our Chair, Ruth Passman
I have been a long-term resident of Bury and a carer, giving me personal experience of health and care services. I am committed to helping people access the services they need, improving local health and care, and ensuring residents' voices shape the services they use.
I am proud that our centrally located office is a truly accessible space where people who need our service drop in. We help people navigate complex health systems, understand letters and referral processes, and they tell us what's concerning them or simply share their story.
Those conversations are the heartbeat of our work. Coupled with insight from local data and partner organisations, they reveal both what works well and the patterns and gaps where people may be struggling to access health and care services or feel they are being let down. We turn the experiences of residents into evidence that decision-makers cannot ignore.
My career includes over 20 years in the Department of Health and as a senior NHS executive, including at Directorial level in NHS England, where I established and led the national programme for equalities and health inequalities across the NHS in England . I introduced the Workforce Race Equality Standard, Disability Equality Standard and sexual orientation monitoring standard across the NHS in England. I am passionate about tackling health inequalities and continue with consultancy in public health, supporting organisations to develop inclusive, evidence-based policies, programmes and services.
Healthwatch plays a vital role as a 'critical friend' to the health and care sector and in the support it provides to local communities. I welcome the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience to support all the communities of Bury.
Our Board
Alan Norton
I am an experienced and charismatic leader with great credibility as an expert in disabled living. I have had a successful business career and brought commercial acumen into my roles in the voluntary sector. I am now a respected champion of disabled people with an excellent national network of experts. I marry a passion for improving the lives of disabled people with realism and a pragmatic approach to delivering practical solutions to difficult challenges for people living with disability. As a result I am respected and valued by the disabled community, policy makers and politicians.
Tan Ahmed
Having been Chief Officer of ADAB for over 10 years, I have a track record of engaging with people from the minority ethnic communities. Our overall vision is to support people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, including new and emerging refugees and asylum seekers. We help to build their confidence and independence to enable them to access vital services and to become more active in the community. We aim to broaden their knowledge and skills and assist them to move into education, training or employment; improve their health and wellbeing and develop their sense of belonging as a responsible and valued citizen of Bury.
In fact, we have a similar remit to Healthwatch Bury, aiming to provide a service to all the residents of Bury MBC.
Alison Slater
I retired from the NHS in 2021 after 38 years’ service and wish to continue to actively support the Healthcare sector and its supporting agencies and utilise the expertise gained during my career through the opportunities available via Bury Healthwatch.
My NHS role involved the provision of support services across the organisation to its stake holders and I recognise the importance of a quality environment to support patient care.
While in the NHS I engaged with Healthwatch colleagues, and I recognise the important role they provide as a ‘critical friend’, the support they provide to the local community and the importance of ensuring local residents know how Healthwatch can assist them.
Gita Bhutani
I have worked in the NHS for over 30 years as a clinician and senior manager in local, regional and national settings. Clinically, I have worked predominantly in adult mental health as a clinical psychologist. I have significant experience in regional and national workforce development for psychological professions. My senior management roles alongside roles with NICE and in research have given me strategic knowledge as well as direct experience of the challenges and privileges of delivering high quality services.
Healthwatch plays an important role in supporting the local community and being a ‘critical friend’ to the health and care sector. I really welcome the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience to support Healthwatch Bury.
Masoud Sanii
I have lived in Bury for many years and have personal experience as a service user of local health and care services. This has given me a deep understanding of the challenges people face. I am deeply committed to championing the lived experience voice and to ensuring that services are shaped by the people who use them.
As an academic with extensive experience in co-producing policy across the NHS and voluntary sector, I have conducted comprehensive policy reviews, contributed to NHSE Clinical Reference Groups, and have expertise in establishing and leading panels at national and regional NHS levels.
I recently led the development of the BME Strategy for Healthwatch Bury, working to ensure that the voices of Black and minority ethnic communities are heard, valued, and acted upon.
I am committed to Healthwatch Bury and to using my lived experience, academic expertise, and professional knowledge to support all communities across Bury — ensuring that local people's voices are heard and can help to improve the services they use.
Past Board papers
We make the papers for our public Board meetings available online. We also publish a summary of what was discussed. Check out our past meetings to read more.