Health Equity Fellowship class of 24

My name is Claire Garrett and I am an inclusion health officer, a very exciting and new role in primary care. I work for City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) and have been with them since 2008.

I am extremely passionate about supporting patients who have health inequalities, especially in the primary care environment. I believe that no patients should have barriers into accessing primary care, or any healthcare, and that all patients (capacity depending) should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. In order to help patients make informative decisions, we need to stop putting up barriers and think outside of the norm

I am really looking forward to all the learning and networking, and to cascading my learning to my organisation on this programme.

Having completed my undergraduate and master’s degree in psychology at the University of York I became the research and intelligence officer for Healthwatch North Yorkshire at the end of 2021. In this role I conduct quantitative and qualitative research to gather patient experiences of health and social care services. I produce reports from this research and work with stakeholders to ensure the public’s voice is used to inform service delivery and strategy. 

I hold both a personal and organisational commitment to ensuring our work has the maximum impact on the communities we serve, particularly those facing health inequalities. I am therefore looking forward to undertaking the fellowship programme and having the opportunity to work on a project focused on reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes.

My name is Jason, I am a public health lead for children, young people and families for Hull City Council. Within my current role I lead on the commissioning of public health services for children, young people and families in Hull, some of which are statutory services and others commissioned to meet local need.

I have worked in public health for nearly 20 years, in a variety of roles including health improvement, public protection and commissioning of public health services to meet local need. I am passionate about improving health outcomes for children, young people and families. 

I am also a mentor and assessor on the Public Health Practitioner Programme which allows me to support colleagues who are new to public health and share the skills I have gained throughout my time working in public health.

In my spare time I like spending time with my family, supporting my local rugby league team and taking part in open water swimming events.

Jenny has a background in the voluntary sector where she has worked at organisations including Citizens Advice and Age UK York. She has delivered a range of projects, including provision of benefits, debt and housing advice, and supporting people on discharge from hospital.

Now working at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Jenny has a particular interest in how family income affects health and access to healthcare services.

I am a community development officer and I love interventions that ensure community / human development. I have spent the last eighteen years of my professional life supporting human development in the areas of education, poverty eradication, human rights, and health. I spent the earlier part of my career in the charity sector, working on HIV/AIDS prevention, management and control. My roles involved capacity development of health practitioners and community volunteers, advocacy and effective communication, political engagement and awareness creation.

I later supported female genital cutting (FGC) prevention through awareness and sensitisation alongside community leaders and other stakeholders, including survivors of the act. At that point, I moved a step beyond the usual to direct and produce a 45 minute documentary about the myths and facts of FGC practices. It was also a good time for me to work more closely with people with lived experience of FGC, listen to their stories and perspectives and to influence my engagement at eradicating the practice. Such experience was very imperative to my zeal at creating awareness and improving on advocacy regarding FGC.

A few years ago, I had a role to support capacity development of medical practitioners on basic health care provision, as well as awareness creation among community members on available public and basic health services. Palladium International supported this. It was important to me because I had the opportunity to know more about the ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ of common public and basic health. A few months after this intervention, I had the privilege to lead a team of 35 people with varied technical background, on an integrated behavioural and biological surveillance survey, with the main objective of obtaining serological and critical behavioural information on key population including female sex workers, people who inject drugs, males who have sex with males, and transgender persons.

I work as a community development officer at Humber All Nations Alliance (HANA) where I relate with communities of people from diverse backgrounds to ensure they have a stronger voice that can influence authority’s decisions on issues affecting their development. I have passion for making lives better through the support I give to communities. I also bank staff with MIND as a mental health crisis assistant. I hold a Master’s in social work (community development) and gender and development respectively. I recently participated in a webinar on capacity building for implementing virtual demand creation and health service delivery, organised by fast response team, OPM United Kingdom.

My name is Nikki Moses and I live with my soon to be husband Mike. We have three beautiful children in our blended family. Mikey is 34, Harlie 20 and William will shortly turn 15. I am also mum to, two poochy babies, Olly and Henry. My hobbies are my family and being inspired by Masterchef to cook novel food concoctions for them, much to their annoyance at times.

Since August 2022 I have worked for the Alzheimer’s Society as a local services manager and am honored to work with such talented and passionate people. Supporting people affected by dementia or cognitive impairment is my specialism and my professional passion.         

In 2016, I achieved a lifelong goal of studying at university, spending three years at Hull, graduating with 2:1 (hons) in BSc psychology. I had all intentions of pursuing the clinical path but was swayed by the opportunity to study dementia with Hull at postgraduate level and in January 2022, graduated with MSc in dementia.

I have experience of working across the health and social care sector, working for a local authority for 24 years and more recently as a social prescriber for Modality PCN (primary care network), and then manager for the city’s homeless health team, where I worked with some inspirational people. This has motivated me to focus on adapting dementia support to people within the inclusion health populations and the professional and informal care networks around them.

My name is Laura Inglis and I currently work as interim matron for planned care including district nurses, bladder and bowel services, phlebotomy and community nursing hub for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust. I am very committed and enthusiastic about community and therapy services. My drive is to lead and help shape the future of planned community nursing service. I feel it is a diverse and challenging role which allows me to build upon excellent working relationships with other members of the community to improve standards and quality of patient care and provide a service inclusive to all. I am passionate about delivering high standards of care and driving community nursing standards forward. I would like the opportunity to undertake the fellowship and develop new skills to improve public health and reduce health inequalities in North Lincolnshire.

Health inequalities are complex and can be seen throughout North Lincolnshire. I have had the opportunity of working with different groups of society, acting as an advocate and delivering nursing care to those in our area for the last 22 years. I qualified as a nurse in 2002 and have worked for NLAG for 20 years as a community nurse, district nurse and team lead.

Recently, I have had the opportunity to deliver care to the homeless and network with local charities and North Lincolnshire Council to try and improve my knowledge of service provision within our area and understand the significant gaps in service provision and access to NHS services which should be accessible to all.

My name is Tess and currently I am partnerships and strategy officer at Humber Teaching Foundation Trust where I am co-ordinating a programme of activity regarding health inequalities across the trust. My role is varied and some of my work includes supporting staff and teams, working with corporate colleagues to ensure that health inequalities have been considered in all aspects of our work, and developing relationships with community partner organisations.

A combination of work and life experiences brought me to apply for this fellowship programme. After university, I worked for many years in the voluntary sector where I held a variety of roles from being a frontline mental health practitioner to being a senior leader of mental health, criminal justice, housing and community services across North and West Yorkshire.

This has allowed me to develop a significant amount of experience in co-production and working collaboratively with communities and individuals with lived experience. I have seen the positive change these relationships can make to services and the wider system, and the potential to address health inequalities. My experiences of working closely with marginalised communities and complex cohorts deepened my understanding and passion for ensuring the health and social care system responds to needs accordingly.

I am also passionate about ensuring the workforce is equipped with the skills and support it needs to achieve strategic ambitions. My leadership experiences have increased my understanding of how to engage, develop and support the workforce to navigate and address such complex issues.

I’m Megan McGonagle and I’m the Poverty and Health Inequalities Champion at Nimbuscare in York. I have a real interest in health inequalities which grew through my time studying at university. I look forward to the opportunity to learn further through the Humber and North Yorkshire Health Fellowship Programme and make a difference through my chosen project.

My name is Gail Baines and I have worked in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Hull since 2014, prior to that I worked in both health and education. My roles in the VCSE have included managing Healthwatch Hull and community navigation services as well as overseeing the Forum Community engagement team. In all of these areas I have seen the range and impact of health inequalities in Hull.

In my current role I oversee the social prescribing element of our work, including both the city-wide community navigation service and Primary Care Link workers within PCN’s. During covid I established the Hull Social Prescribing network to bring together all social prescribers within the city. This network gives opportunities for peer support within the city as well as sharing information about training, opportunities and organisations ensuring we have a comparable level of social prescribing service across the city.

I have recently managed the development of a community engagement team whose primary function is to work with communities and trusted leaders to identify ways to improve community engagement across the city. This has resulted in new ways of engaging with communities who have previously been underserved or labelled ‘hard to engage’.

I have been involved in projects which have considered environmental and social factors to tackle health inequities. My time working within education gave me the opportunity to work with children and learn how they saw the city, how it worked for them and how things could be changed for the better. 

I was born in Hull and have always lived in the local area. I think this is the reason I am so passionate about Hull as a city, its history, heritage and future, and how we can work with the people of Hull to improve our environment as well as improve individual health and wellbeing.

I am the health inequalities lead at Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance. This is a new role and my remit is to work alongside colleagues in population health, primary, secondary, voluntary and community care to ensure that we recognise the health inequalities that exist in Humber and North Yorkshire for people with a cancer diagnosis, and for those who are at risk of developing the disease. 

I’m passionate about reducing the health inequalities that our communities and populations face. I have lived in and worked with communities across this region for several years. My role is to ensure that those who have lived experienced of inequalities in their lives, in their cancer diagnosis and in their treatment pathways, are heard. That their experience is utilised to design and build services that are inclusive and responsive to the needs of those who are most vulnerable. The role involves collaboration with colleagues across the integrated care system (ICS) and nationally, to ensure that we weave consideration of Health Inequalities into everything that we do.

I am an NHS manager with extensive experience working in acute care in the Humber and North Yorkshire area. I am looking forward to the challenge of the Health Fellowship Programme and to learn skills that will help facilitate change on a regional scale. 

I currently work on the Cancer Champions Programme to raise awareness across our population of the signs and symptoms of cancer and the importance and uptake of cancer screening to aid early diagnosis. Ways in which the Cancer Champions Programme works include through the delivery of face-to-face and virtual awareness sessions, and amplifying national campaign messaging. The awareness sessions are delivered to a variety of people and organisations.

I am looking to utilise the skills and knowledge gained through this fellowship to transform the way people with a learning disability or a physical disability can recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer and access cancer screening.

I am a children’s nurse by background and now work as a professional lead within children’s and adult community services in a community interest company. I am also a regional Makaton tutor, enabling me to enhance communication strategies for people who experience barriers to accessing healthcare.

I have been a children’s nurse for over 20 years and have had the privilege to work with children and their families spanning acute, tertiary and community settings within the NHS and voluntary sector. I remain passionate about supporting the best health outcomes for children and young people, with a focus for those children and young people living with long term conditions. My clinical practice over the last 24 years continues to inspire me to identify and reduce the barriers and health inequalities this group of children and young people face. In my current role I am supported to advocate and seek mechanisms through co-production with children and families and colleagues across various disciplines to drive transformation to services.

Toby Ben-Babatunde’s journey in healthcare includes a recent role as an admin/clinical support worker with Navigo Health and Social Care within the crisis home treatment team, where she plays a crucial role assisting older people facing mental health challenges, with therapeutic and basic care. This role also involves implementing treatment plans, administering medication, observing behavioural changes, delivering patient-centered care, and promoting their safety, amongst other duties.

She is equally a seasoned professional with a rich background in business and management, holding a distinction in MSc Business and Management from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. With over a decade of experience in administrative management, human resources administration and customer service, Toby has honed a diverse skill set and a practical perspective that allows for effective independent work or collaborative teamwork.

Notably her commitment to excellence is exemplified through academic achievements, including an MSc Corporate Communication and Public Affairs and a BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Nigerian Languages. Membership in the Chartered Management Institute further underscores a dedication to professional growth.

In a previous role as a business manager at Utopian Healthcare, she demonstrated leadership by selecting and hiring employees, supervising operations and leading the company to increased productivity.

This versatile professional has also made impactful contributions in the field of healthcare as a clerical officer at NHS Grampian, a support worker at Aberness Care, Aberdeen, an executive assistant/admin secretary to the executive secretary at Kwara State Health Insurance in Nigeria & Head, Human Resources Department at Maayoit Healthcare in Nigeria.

Toby’s journey is marked by continuous learning and development, evident in certifications such as Lean Six Sigma – Yellow Belt, and training including healthcare quality and patient safety (tools and concepts) by Utopian Healthcare, and behavioural economics by Pharmaccess Foundation.

She serves as the project lead for the BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) network at Navigo. With a strong commitment to fostering health equity, she eagerly anticipates participating in the Health Equity Fellowship. Her objective is to use the fellowship as a platform to enhance her comprehension of health inequities, advocate for equity in Humber and North Yorkshire, cultivate a robust peer network focused on health equity, and actively disseminate valuable insights and best practice within the field.

Toby’s dedication to excellence, coupled with a diverse skill set, positions her as an asset to the Health Equity Fellowship community.

Debbie McKinney is the Changing Futures Service Manager at Hull City Council, a multi-agency service supporting people with multiple unmet needs. Her extensive experience in managing complex needs services, drug and alcohol teams, and leading the delivery of regional projects to support vulnerable women and families for a national charity (Changing Lives), has been invaluable to the Changing Futures approach. Debbie leads a creative and multi-partner service that works to deliver a highly integrated approach to support people who have become locked in a cycle of homelessness, rough sleeping, addiction, offending behaviour, and poor physical and mental health – often underpinned by deep trauma. Debbie is passionate about health inequalities and has brought together health partners as part of Changing Futures to ensure the people supported have flexible access to healthcare.

In my NHS journey, I discovered my passion for addressing health inequalities. As part of the Improving Population Health Team over the past year, I’ve dedicated myself to understanding and tackling the root causes of these disparities. A highlight has been my involvement in organising the health Mela event and Brain Health Cafe where we not only promote physical health but also provide a supportive space for mental wellbeing. It’s been fulfilling to contribute to initiatives that make a positive impact on our community’s health and wellbeing.

I have a portfolio role working across both academia and in the NHS. I work part-time as the deputy director for the Institute for Health and Care Improvement at York St John University and part-time with the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance as a senior manager working across the primary and secondary interface, supporting change and improvement within cancer pathways.

I have a medical science PhD from Hull York Medical School and have an interest in the early diagnosis of cancer, clinical reasoning and recognition and referral behaviours within general practice. Within my NHS career I have worked across many differing tiers of the NHS from primary care, secondary care to sub regional, regional, and national levels. My area of expertise and interest has evolved over the last 24 years working within improvement, change and system and large-scale change, health related behavioural science / behaviour change focusing on their health inequalities and public health priority areas.

Over the last 15 years I have become more subspecialised within a cancer context and have been involved in local, regional and national cancer improvement programmes, implementing innovation and change across local and wider health systems.

I am a GP in York and a Hull York Medical School tutor. I have always been interested in issues experienced by marginalised groups. At medical school, I did a self-selected study module in refugee health and later did an intercalated BSc in International Health at UCL. As a GP trainee, I worked with a homeless charity, Single Homeless Project, to set up walking groups across London which went on to win an award from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). I believe that tackling health inequity is vitally important to upholding the values of the NHS and I look forward to prioritising this. I would like to link with local groups in York to make relationships with primary care and improve health equity.

Dr Jennifer Loke has a distinguished background in academia and nursing practice marked by her unwavering dedication to excellence in both nurse education and patient care. In 2019, after an illustrious 16-year tenure as a lecturer at the University of Hull, Dr Loke made a pivotal shift in her career. She reduced her academic hours and embraced a role as a nurse consultant at Park View Surgery in Hessle where she serves not only as a practice nurse, delivering hands-on clinical care, but also takes on the challenge to work at an advanced level of nursing practice. Her responsibilities in the GP practice also extend beyond patient care to encompass co-leading its business aspects.

Dr Loke’s dedication as an academic and her commitment in both the clinical and administrative realms of primary care have cultivated a deep-seated passion for enhancing the landscape of primary healthcare. Her first-hand experience during the NHS digitalisation process has provided her with a profound insight into the operationalisation of the NHS digitalisation plan. Notably, she has identified concerns about potential unintended consequences affecting a vulnerable subset of NHS users, specifically the older patients who may be technophobic or technologically disabled. The consequence of the 2020 pandemic which coincided with the intensifying of the NHS digitisation initiatives underscored the accelerated pace of technological integration in healthcare. While the majority of NHS service users embraced and eagerly anticipated further technological advancements, Dr Loke observed the unintended consequences on older individuals who, due to technophobia or technological handicaps, found themselves disproportionately affected. This cohort not only faced challenges accessing GPs on an equal footing but also grappled with navigating a technologised NHS landscape.

Dr Loke is delighted to be awarded the Humber and North Yorkshire Health Fellowship Programme 2024 for she is certain that this fellowship programme presents an excellent opportunity to equip her with valuable knowledge and skills to develop consultations in GP practices for addressing these disparities. She is looking forward to sharing good knowledge, experience and best practice through the programme. 

My name is Alison Szustakowski and I’m a CVD (cardiovascular disease) prevention transformation programme lead with the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. I have 22 years’ experience of working in a local authority setting, with a significant proportion of this time working on poverty and inequalities in our most deprived communities. The focus of my fellowship project stems from this work, both in terms of understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how trauma informed practice can be a key driver for change. My current role encompasses primary prevention work, in partnership with local government, and secondary prevention approaches around identifying and optimising the management of existing CVD risk factors. Through this fellowship opportunity I would like to look at how we could apply a trauma informed approach to CVD prevention to recognise and mitigate the impact of adversity and high allostatic load on the risk of developing CVD and other long-term conditions.

As the public health lead for commissioning in the East Riding, I have a deep passion for improving the health and wellbeing of the people in our community, especially those who face the greatest challenges and barriers. I have a blend of experience in the charity and voluntary sector, children’s services, adult social care and public health, as well as being lucky enough to jointly run the council’s disabled staff network. These opportunities have provided me with an appreciation of the diversity and strength within our communities and networks, and the complexity of the issues we face. I am committed to driving transformative change as a Health Equity Fellow. The Core20PLUS5 approach says we should be giving specific consideration to the inclusion of young carers and I’m pleased that I will be working collaboratively with children’s services and system partners to co-produce innovative and sustainable solutions for our region’s young carers. This is an amazing opportunity for me and I feel privileged to be able to use my experience to make a positive difference to our residents during challenging times.

I am a senior project officer with the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB in North East Lincolnshire place with a focus on diabetes, weight management, CVD (cardiovascular disease) detection and prevention, and respiratory conditions. I have led on the facilitation of outreach clinics for Covid and flu vaccinations in areas of low uptake within communities and wards in North East Lincolnshire. My past roles include managerial positions in banking, education, and local government. I have been an elected member in a ward within the top 10% of indices of multiple deprivation in England and have a special interest in health inequalities and social justice. I am a trustee of the local Citizens’ Advice Bureau. I have a BSc (Hons) degree from the Open University and a diploma in social policy and criminology.

I live with my partner Paul, son Lucas and rescue staffy, Bessie.

After 12 years’ experience of working in the sport and physical activity sector within a variety of settings, including local authorities, national governing bodies (NGBs), community sports clubs and active partnerships. The latest programme I have been involved in is the holiday activities and food programme for North Yorkshire. The programme ensures that children and young people eligible for benefits-related free school meals have access to quality and enriching activities over key holiday periods, as well as providing healthy meals to eligible children. I am about to undertake a role within the North Yorkshire public health team with a focus on physical activity and embedding physical activity across broader systems. Beyond work I enjoy practicing yoga and staying active with my family.