Dr Keith Judkins, Board Chair
My journey with Healthwatch Cornwall began in October 2023 working as a community volunteer. I joined the Board of Directors in November 2023 and was elected to the Chair role in May 2024.
My background is in healthcare as a consultant anaesthetist, with additional responsibilities first as clinical director for a regional specialty service (care of patients with major burns) and later as medical director for my NHS Trust; this management role involved engagement with community services including primary care. For a while, I was also seconded part time to the national NHS to provide a secondary care perspective on the development of appraisal for doctors.
Since retiring to Cornwall nine years ago, I have of course seen the NHS from an entirely different perspective, as a service user, and it’s been an eye-opener. The challenge for me was to find a way to make a difference using my clinical and management experience, but also my new insights as an ordinary resident of Cornwall. To that end, I serve as a lay representative for Penwith Primary Care Network and as a member of my GP practice’s patient participation group (PPG), as well as a board member for Healthwatch Cornwall.
Healthwatch Cornwall is the voice of all of us to healthcare providers, not just my voice; to serve on its board is a privilege I take seriously. We want to make a difference to how healthcare systems respond to the needs and concerns of the people of Cornwall. It is my aim to help that happen in any way I can.
Dr Christine BJ Hunter, MB.ChB, B.Med.Biol
Originally from Shetland I went to study medicine at Aberdeen University graduating in 1981. After registration year I moved to Cornwall to a training post in 1982. I found it was easy to get further GP training posts so stayed on and met and married a Cornishman. I moved into a practice in Newquay to complete GP training and stayed there until my retirement as senior partner of Newquay Health Centre in 2017.
I joined Healthwatch Cornwall initially as a volunteer in 2017 moving onto a board position in 2018. After 40 years of working in the NHS I wanted to try to help service users to get the best care possible and I am passionate about safeguarding the future of the organisation. I attend prescribing and primary care committees on behalf of Healthwatch Cornwall.
I still do occasional locum GP sessions and have also joined Cornwall Mobility as a trustee and more recently have become Fundraising chair for Newquay RNLI.
I enjoy living in Cornwall but maintain links with my Scottish/Viking roots.
Richard Williams
Deryth Stevens
Clive Acraman, Vice Chair
Board meetings
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.