Background
Born in West Yorkshire before settling in St Albans almost 40 years ago.
Divorced and separated, with five children, three adults and two still in their teens.
Business Experience:
Originally trained as a Surveyor, but spent almost all my working life in the property development industry, initially as Sales Manager for large house building concerns, and then as a developer in my own right for many years. In addition, I act as Consultant for a chain of Estate Agents dealing with matters relating to land, planning and the marketing of new homes.
Volunteer Experience
I am Chairman of Pioneer Club Charity in St Albans and an active fund raising partner of The New Museum Trust, also in St Albans. I was the founder and for many years managed Mid Herts Vets Football League, I was Secretary of Saints Vets FC, and also founded and managed Huddersfield Town Southern Supporters Association for many years. Lastly, I spent many years involved in local politics and was for some years Chairman of a local Conservative Party Branch.
What is your experience with the local NHS?
Like many, at grass roots level, and having recently had a minor operation carried out at Hemel Hempstead Hospital, the service received from staff was beyond reproach, but beyond local delivery, I see systemic failure in the way the NHS is structured and managed and how it operates, and a root and branch audit of what is the largest employer in the country is long overdue.
What gets you passionate about HertsValleysHospital.co.uk ?
Whilst there are many pressure groups and campaigns with ostensibly similar aims, it is only HertsValleysHospital.co.uk that have a realistic chance of being able to deliver a new hospital, because unlike all other groups, we have aligned ourselves to a ready and willing landowner, able to provide the perfect site for a new hospital to serve our local community for today, and for decades into the future.
What is the biggest challenge to achieving Herts Valleys Hospital?
Undoubtedly, without having a suitable site on which to build a brand new hospital the inevitable conclusion would have meant the refurbishment of the outdated, poorly sited and badly maintained facilities currently on offer. Now that we have been able to locate a suitable site, the biggest challenge is to convince all stakeholders that the investment in brand new, state of the art facilities is a far better use of public funds than the redevelopment of old and obsolete buildings, such as those at the three core hospital sites of Watford, Hemel and St Albans.