Staff

Meet the team

Diana Blackmun

Diana is the Chief Executive Officer of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Diana began her career in the Civil Service at The Patent Office, later supporting the General Medical Council in assessing international doctors’ eligibility to practise in the UK.

After relocating to the Shire Counties, she worked across a range of organisations before joining Bedfordshire County Council, where she supported the Leader and Executive Members. She went on to lead customer engagement in Adult Social Care, aligning her work with a Social Sciences and Social Policy degree.

At Central Bedfordshire Council, Diana led a high-impact procurement engagement project that won the Government Opportunities Best Customer Engagement Initiative of the Year Award (2012). That same year, she was named Employee of the Year by the Social Care, Health & Housing Directorate.

A committed volunteer in hospice and youth services, Diana is passionate about amplifying the voice of service users to improve health and social care outcomes.

Meet the team

Debbie Jacobs

Debbie is the Digital Communications Officer

Debbie has over 10 years’ experience in marketing and communications within the mental healthcare sector. She has a passion for creative design and was the lead designer at Partnerships in Care, an independent mental healthcare provider, for a 20 strong in-house marketing and sales team with 70+ hospitals requiring rapid turnaround of designs for both external and internal communications.

As Relationship Manager and Marketing & Communications Manager at Nouvita Healthcare, Debbie was responsible for the communication to NHS Commissioners and Case Managers to announce the opening of a new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). This resulted in the service running at 90% occupancy within 6 weeks of opening.

Debbie’s empathy and caring nature now leads her to Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire, where she wants to encourage customer engagement on health and social care provision. As a former carer for her late husband, who had mental and physical health needs, she is passionate about helping to influence change and improve the quality of health and social care within our community.

Joanna Zaworska - meet the team

Joanna Zaworska

Joanna is the Database and Office Administrator

With many years of experience in administration and customer service, Joanna has worked in property management, recruitment and dental reception. Originally from Poland and living in the UK for 14 years, Joanna ensures that office operations are run smoothly and excellent customer service is maintained.

As well as a Dental Receptionist, Joanna also previously worked as a Recruitment Consultant and, in both roles, was instrumental in providing translation services for Polish speaking clients and patients.

Joanna is very excited about engaging with the public to ensure they can access the health and social care services they need in Central Bedfordshire.

Meet the team

Elli Margolius

Elli is the Youth Engagement and Volunteer Officer

As a public contributor and co-applicant for PHIRST South Bank, Elli brings a strong interest in youth voice, public health, and research. She first got involved with Healthwatch as a volunteer in 2022 and has now taken on the role of Youth Engagement Officer with Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire.

Her passion for youth empowerment and community-led change began through her involvement with the PHIRST PPIE group on an evaluation based on “Improving young people’s mental health in Central Bedfordshire”,  an opportunity offered by Young Healthwatch. After completing her A-levels in summer 2024, Elli has been exploring opportunities to grow her experience in the public health and research space.

Elli is committed to ensuring that young people are meaningfully involved in shaping the services that affect them. She values collaboration, inclusion, and the power of youth voice in driving positive change. Alongside her work at Healthwatch, she volunteers with the Cambridge Children’s Hospital Youth Forum and the Young Royal Kennel Club, where she continues to support youth participation and advocate for more inclusive approaches across different sectors.

Meet the team - Vicky Davies

Vicky Davies

Vicky is the Engagement and Volunteer Officer

Vicky comes from a family of medical professionals, and has previously volunteered for the charity Breast Cancer Now, in various engagement capacities. She has also participated in a Listening Support Service for the Primrose Unit at Bedford Hospital.

With many years of experience in Engagement, Event Planning and Customer Service, Vicky brings her knowledge and skills to Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire.

She feels passionately that the voice of the people of Central Bedfordshire should be heard to ensure our Health & Social Care settings meet the needs of the people, and be the best they can be.

Nicola Kidby

Nicola Kidby

Nicola is the Finance Officer

Having volunteered with HWCB for 8 years, Nicola joined the team in February 2024 to oversee all our financial matters.

She qualified as a Management Accountant in 2000 and worked widely for management consultancy and retail companies.

Nicola is a carer for her disabled children and volunteers locally for disability charities including as a Trustee for Carers in Bedfordshire.

Board

Meet the team

Gill Hiscox

Gill is Chair and a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Gill has a wealth of experience and local knowledge about health care systems and providers. She has worked within the NHS in Bedfordshire for over 50 years, initially in Human Resources with the local Health Authority, and then moved into Primary Care where she has been for the last 25 years.

Gill was elected South Bedfordshire Trust Board member of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and has been a member for four years. Gill is also a local Parish Councillor in Central Bedfordshire.

Gill was responsible for setting up the first Patient Participation Group (PPG) in Bedfordshire which won a National Award for its patient involvement. As part of her current role Gill is currently involved in discussions around GP Federations and all the potential changes that will hopefully drive the NHS forward.

Gill is passionate about hearing and listening to the patient voice and recently took on the role of Chair of the West Mid Beds Locality Patient Participation Group. Gill has also found time to manage a local Girl Guide Unit for the past 30 years in her local community.

Meet the team

Linda Grant

Linda is a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire and Vice Chair

Linda has been a Volunteer and Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire since 2013 and in 2023 she became Vice Chair. She joined as she was very disillusioned with the Mental Health service in Central Bedfordshire and wanted to make a difference. Linda is a champion for Mental Health.

Since joining Linda has assisted with setting up Minds2gether in Dunstable and the Lighthouse in Leighton Buzzard which are mental health support groups managed by service users. She is committed to ensure our NHS provides the best patient care.

Linda is involved in HWCB’s Enter and View programme in which we visit Care Homes, GP surgeries and hospital wards, to find out how they are being run and to make recommendations where there are areas for improvement.

During the pandemic Linda worked for the Office of National Statistics in the community. This involved meeting the residents of Central Bedfordshire on a daily basis, swabbing and collecting blood as part of their survey to monitor the spread of Covid-19. Whilst doing this she was able to help patients with many queries and problems they had.

As a Healthwatch Director, Linda sits on several committees and ensures the voice of local people is heard. She also gets involved with the procurement of different services within the NHS.

Meet the team

Louise Cole

Louise is a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Louise began her career as a physiotherapist but following a serious car accident at the age of 19, which left her with a life changing disability, her career path altered and Louise started working in insurance where she managed a large insurance company in Bedfordshire.  However, as her disability worsened, she needed to change her career once again and started her NHS journey 10 years ago.

Louise is currently a Business Manager and Primary Care Network Manager for a local GP surgery in Central Bedfordshire.  As part of her role Louise leads a large team of healthcare professionals and supports the patient population area of both Dunstable and Luton.

Louise has completed her Medical Secretary Diploma, HealthCare Management Diploma, Cert of MBE in Management, and is now working towards her final stages of MBE and Degree in Partnership, Directorship and Management, and does not plan to stop there.

Louise has a passion for health and wellbeing. She is well connected within the Primary Care industry and works with a large healthcare team providing a high standard of care to over 50,000 patients within Central Bedfordshire

Louise is very supportive of those around her and likes nothing better than helping people to succeed in their lives.

Meet the team

Alison Newnham

Alison is a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Alison worked as the Database Office Administrator for Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire for over five years, retiring in August 2024. During this time, she gained extensive experience supporting residents in navigating local health and social care services. Her passion lies in organising and delivering public-facing engagement events, ensuring that residents’ voices are heard, feedback is acted upon, and good practice is celebrated to improve services.

With a diverse career spanning banking, education, interactive gaming, and a student-focused charity, Alison brings a wealth of skills to her role. She is also deeply involved in her local community as Chair of the Silsoe Good Neighbourhood Scheme, an active member of the Silsoe Community Society, and a Girlguiding volunteer for over 40 years.

Alison is excited to continue advocating for Healthwatch, raising awareness locally and across Central Bedfordshire, and fostering meaningful connections between residents and the services that support them.

HWCB Director

Mandy Haslam

Mandy is a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Mandy has extensive professional experience, having spent 27 years in a senior HR and finance position within the NHS, followed by 24 years in the private sector. She possesses in-depth expertise in payroll, accounts payable, service delivery, and implementation, along with significant experience in business development. Mandy has proficiently supported boards by providing critical data and insights for informed decision-making. Notably, she was recognised by the Payrolls professional organisation.

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Mandy has engaged in volunteer work for most of her career, including organising summer events at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, holding various Trustee roles within the Scout Association, and participating in her village community. She joined Healthwatch as a Director after retiring from paid employment in 2024.

Customer satisfaction and exceptional user experience have always been central to Mandy’s approach. Whether she is delivering services to businesses, organising activities for Scouts, or supporting the NHS, she firmly believes in listening to feedback, taking appropriate action, and evaluating the results of those actions.

Alan Jackson - Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Alan Jackson

Alan is a Director of Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire

Alan brings a wealth of experience to his role – following a distinguished 31-year career in the Royal Air Force, where he held a variety of leadership positions, including serving as a regional representative for the implementation of a new logistics system across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2020, he became a COVID-19 Champion and actively contributed to the Ambulance Service’s Community Engagement Group, later taking on the role of Chair.

Alan joined HWCB as a volunteer in 2023 and has since played an active role in a wide range of projects and activities. He is also Chair of his local Patient Participation Group (PPG), where he has successfully driven quality improvements within the surgery, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to community health and patient voice.