Meet your Governors

Loveday Densham, Torquay

Loveday has been a medical secretary in the NHS for the past thirty-eight years, and has previously been a staff governor at RD&E Hospital. Loveday currently works for five physicians in the Renal Unit at the Royal Devon & Exeter in a team which is linked with Torbay. She brings with her a lifetime’s experience of dealing with the difficulties in NHS administration and has experienced first hand how these problems directly affect patients and clinical staff. Her aim is to support a drive for integrated IT services for the whole of the South West region and improved parking/park and ride facilities for patients and staff.

Dave Cawley, Dartmouth

Dave has worked in the IT field all his adult life and occasionally lectured to NASA scientists in the USA. The National Health Service is very important to Dave and he feels pleased to be representing the South Hams area on the Council of Governors. He has lived in Dartmouth for a long time and witnessed a number of significant changes to health and care services in the area, including the building of the new Health and Wellbeing Centre in Dartmouth.

Dave grew up in Devon and returned here in his 40s. He is a clear thinker, and understands how organisations work. As a Town Councillor, he served as the lead for the £1M Dartmouth Market Regeneration and will use his skills as a Governor to promote improvements in healthcare services delivery not only for the people of South Hams but also the wider Torbay and South Devon area.

Julie Spinks, Totnes

Julie spent 18 years working as a nurse in various areas of medicine. She re-trained as a counsellor, specialising in eating disorders, and has only recently retired from this work.

Julie moved to Totnes in 2010 and has been a member of the Patient Participation Group at her local GP surgery for the last 6 years. She also volunteers at her local memory café.

Her interests are around diet, nutrition and functional medicine. Julie is keen to find an aspect of being a governor where she can best utilize her skills and knowledge.

Eileen Engelmann, Newton Abbot

Eileen is a retired qualified nurse with many years in nursing, including management of her own local care home for elderly people. Since 2004 she has worked for South Devon College as a trainer, assessor and moderator for Health & Social Care qualifications. She has a special interest in promoting services for dementia conditions and volunteers at a Memory Cafe in Torquay.

Michael Joyce, Teignbridge

Michael is a proud Devonian, currently living in Newton Abbot with his wife Sue. He is a qualified Bookkeeper and has a BSc (Hons), which he studied for after retirement in 2006. He is President of the Newton Abbot Branch of the Royal British Legion, and Chair of the Newton Abbot Patients Locality Group. He is a Trustee of three charities in Newton Abbot and is a committee member of several more. He enjoys giving something back to the town he calls home.

Micheal previously worked for Allied Breweries, SWW, and finally as a Housing Officer for a housing association in Exeter. He is also a veteran, having served in the Royal Engineers. He was past Chair of Albany Surgery Patients Group, Town Councillor and past Mayor of Newton Abbot Town Council, CSW Co Ordinator, Police Advocate, Vice Chair of DALC (Devon Association of Local Councils).

Micheal wanted to become a governor because his late mum brought him up to be proud of our NHS. He believes all of us in the UK hand our NHS to those we elect to look after it. They are custodians of our NHS and we must always hold them to account. He appreciates it has evolved and is facing many challenges and because of this, he wanted to give something back, to make a difference, to support, question, advise and assist in any way he is able to.

James Osben, Newton Abbot

James is a consultant nurse in mental health with over 20 years of experience in the NHS, specialising in older adult mental health care, including dementia care. His career has also included working as a hospital inspector for the Care Quality Commission, giving him a strong understanding of healthcare regulation and quality standards. Alongside James’ clinical work, he is actively involved in research, with a particular interest in improving access to mindfulness-based interventions and psychological therapies for older adults.

James has lived in Newton Abbot since 2011 with his wife, who is a radiographer at Torbay Hospital, and their two young children, who attend school in the town. As a long-term resident, he cares deeply about the health and wellbeing of the community and the services that support it.

James is passionate about ensuring high-quality, accessible, and innovative health and social care services. His previous experience includes standing twice as a Labour parliamentary candidate for Newton Abbot in 2017 and 2019, which gave him insight into the political and systemic challenges of healthcare provision alongside other socioeconomic challenges. However, James is now independent of any political party, and his focus as a governor is on using his professional and personal experience to make a meaningful and positive contribution to the NHS and the people it serves.

In these challenging times, James believes that innovation, creativity, and curiosity are fundamental to improving services. As a governor, he hopes to foster this kind of thinking and work collaboratively with colleagues, staff, and the local community to support the development of effective, sustainable healthcare services for Newton Abbot and beyond.

Andrew Postlethwaite, Teignmouth

Andrew is a retired Managing Director of a local business of over 18 years standing and was a former chairman of the Teignbridge branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, culminating election as regional chairman for Devon.

He continues to work in the field of Expert Witness in Forensic Reconstructions and Virtual Reality, registered with the National Crime Agency and as a member of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. He is a retired Governor of South Devon University Technical College, Newton Abbot and a Chartered member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Andrew Stilliard, Torquay

Andrew is a recently retired procurement manager having worked across the South West NHS for over 40 years. Achieving value for money remains his goal. He has held voluntary roles before as a hospital visitor and chaplaincy assistant and is an advocate for blood donation. Locally he is very involved within various Christian ministries which help fulfil his active lifestyle, which he needs to maintain as a Trust cardiac patient. He is passionate about listening to patient’s needs and ensuring they get heard.

Lee Thomas, Torquay

Lee’s career has been diverse and exciting, having worked on various UK and international tours within the entertainment industry where he gained extensive experience and knowledge.

Lee’s commitment to the community is evident through his involvement in various initiatives and organisations, including Torbay Hospital Radio. As the Chairman of Torbay Hospital Radio, he has worked tirelessly to ensure that the hospital radio station continues to provide comfort and entertainment to patients and staff alike.

Vincent Williams, Torquay

Residing in Torquay since 1999, Vince is a seasoned project manager with a wealth of experience. Throughout his career, he has successfully led numerous high-value, high-impact projects in both the private and public sectors, most recently several projects for the South West Ambulance Service and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trusts. Presently, Vince is employed by Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust, leading several digital implementation projects for their Electronic Patient Records Programme.

Vince holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Project Management. He is a member of the Chartered Association for Project Management and is actively pursuing qualification as a Chartered Project Professional, further solidifying his standing in the field. He is particularly interested in supporting the Trust’s digital strategies to deliver more effective patient care.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Vince is a devoted music lover, with an established background in music and television production. His eclectic interests extend to Kendo, photography, woodworking and collecting vintage clocks.

NHS Devon Integrated Care Board: Karen Barry

Karen works for NHS Devon Integrated Care Board as the Locality Director covering South and West Devon. She has always lived in Torbay and has worked in various NHS management and leadership roles in Devon since 1990. Karen brings experience of working across primary care, commissioning, operational delivery, strategy development and implementation and is passionate about the health of the population in Devon. She has a special interest in developing staff and teams to provide the best service to patients and loves spending time with her two daughters and five grandchildren and is a keen Torquay United Supporter!

University of Exeter, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences: Jo Bowtell

Jo completed her PhD examining the effects of nutrition and exercise on protein turnover at Dundee University in 1996. Since then, she has spent over 25 years teaching and conducting research at Loughborough University, London South Bank University and since 2011 at University of Exeter, where she is Professor of Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. Jo’s research focus is on exercise and nutrient-induced changes in human physiology and metabolism, and their effects on exercise performance and recovery, as well as their potential to support human health. Her BioActivEx research group are currently investigating the effects of a range of natural bioactive compounds such as polyphenols on athlete performance and healthy aging and the underpinning molecular mechanisms.

Jo served as Head of the Sport and Health Sciences Department for 5 years during which they were ranked first for research quality in the Research Excellence Framework assessment. She is now Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Devon Carers: Ali Meadows

Ali has lived in Torbay all of her life, bringing up two children. She is a full time family carer, having cared for one of her children since a very premature birth in 1991. More recently Ali now also cares for her husband who has had a brain injury.

In between caring duties Ali worked in Education, both in primary and secondary settings specialising in behaviour and attendance.

Ali is secretary to her GP surgery’s PPG and this year has joined the Carer’s Strategy Steering Group.

Through the work of the Torbay Family Carers Service, she is often asked to share her experiences with professionals with a view to improving practice and raising awareness of Carers issues. Giving constructive feedback has proven to be positive and effective for all concerned.

Ali looks forward to her time as the Carer’s Governor and representing the interests and needs of carers throughout the Trust.

Teignbridge Council: John Nutley

John moved to Devon 37 years ago and is a retired Company Director of a joinery firm in Newton Abbot. John was appointed in June 2023 as the representative for Teignbridge District Council to serve on the Council of Governors.

John is a District Councillor for the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Ward first being elected in 2007, where he is the Executive Member for open spaces, leisure, sport, resorts and tourism. He has been a Dartmoor National Park Authority Member for 11 years.

John is a member of the Ashburton Town Council and has been Chairman and Mayor for Ashburton twice, and was the 1199th/1200th Portreeve of Ashburton for the Courts Leet and Baron Juries. He is also Chair of the Ashburton and Buckfastleigh League of Friends.

He has been a committee member on the Ashburton Emergency Climate Change Group (ACE) and considers the environment and saving our planet to be vitally important for future generations.

Torbay Council: David Thomas

David Thomas is the Leader of Torbay Council and has served as a dedicated councillor since 2007. With a strong background in business, he has operated several enterprises across the Bay, including roles as a hotelier and restaurateur. He continues to run his successful printing business, Gold Print.

A passionate musician, David spent a decade touring the world as an entertainer before settling in South Devon from his native Lancashire. His wide-ranging experience across both the private and public sectors brings a unique and valuable perspective to his leadership at the council.

Alongside his professional and civic commitments, David is also a dedicated volunteer. He has held various roles within the community, notably supporting Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. His involvement began during the “Beast from the East” snowstorm, when he volunteered as part of the 4×4 emergency response team. Since then, he has continued to give his time to the hospital community, training with Torbay Hospital Radio and regularly assisting with their outside broadcasting events.

Plymouth University Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry: Louise Winfield

Louise qualified as a nurse in 1989 and has worked across the NHS and private sector within the critical care environment.

She changed the focus of her career, moving into education initially at Wolverhampton University and then after moving to the South West, she joined the University of Plymouth. She has undertaken Associate Head of Internationalisation & Innovation, Deputy and Head of School roles. Louise now works part time as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health, Plymouth University.

South Hams District Council and for Dartmouth and East Dart: Ged Yardy

Ged is an elected representative for South Hams District Council and for Dartmouth and East Dart, and a member of the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board. As Member of Dartmouth Town Council Ged has led on health and wellbeing issues locally.

Ged has previously worked as an innovation and sustainability manager at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and worked for more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Children and Family Heath Devon

Vacant post.

Staff Governor for Planned care and surgery

Vacant post.

Staff Governor for Professional support services staff

Vacant post.

Staff Governor for Medicine and urgent care

Vacant post.

Radia Woodbridge – Staff Governor for Families and communities

Radia worked in Health and Social Care in Devon and Torbay in various roles since 2016. In the past she worked with families, young children, young people, Citizens Advice Bureau, and she held various managerial roles in electronics and petroleum industries. Currently, Radia works in adult social care, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust as a Project Coordinator and Transformation Delivery Manager within Delivery, Markets, Contracts and Quality Team (DMCQ). Radia champions good practice protocols where people are empowered and engaged in choice and control over the support they receive.

Radia was elected as a staff governor in March 2021. This has given her the opportunity to participate and have a say on decisions in meetings, to voice her opinion and concern and to work with her governor colleagues to protect the interest of the patients / clients, and staff and to ensure that TSDFT is working effectively to achieve its purpose. Since 2021, Radia worked with extraordinary governors who have dedicated their spare time on a voluntary basis to support and champion the work of TSDFT while contributing to its service improvement and transformation. Radia was delighted to have been re-elected in March 2024 to continue with her role as staff governor to enable her to further contribute and give back to the wider community for the benefit of patients / clients, staff and the trust.

Radia is a member of Paignton Canoe Club and enjoys fitness and yoga classes. Other pastimes include reading, travelling, studying and learning new languages.