Our Patient Engagement & Experience team works to provide an exceptional experience for patients and carers, ensuring they feel listened to and that action is taken and lessons are learnt that inform improvement of care and service delivery.

Angela said: “I oversee the team, which includes Patient Advice and Liaison Service and complaints management for the organisation. The team focuses on anything that involves patient experience – from the Friends and Family Test to carers, patient forums and new projects aimed at improving how we connect with patients, carers and families.”

Angela and her team are also responsible for handling patient and carer concerns, whether that’s an enquiry that needs a response from a service or department supporting patients and relatives to resolve a concern or an issue or managing formal complaints.

“It’s about acknowledging that we don’t always get it right, what can we learn, what we can do better, and then sharing this to inform improvements,” she said. “For me, it’s important to ensure we’re responsive and communicate clearly with everyone who accesses our services, to listen and facilitate early resolution where patient care and services did not meet their expectations.”

Originally from Essex, Angela and her husband moved to Norfolk during the Covid-19 pandemic when their roles transitioned to fully remote work.

“We always planned to move to Norfolk when we retired, but when Covid hit, we realised we could work remotely and didn’t have to wait,” she said. “We thought, why not live the life we want now? So, we made the move in October 2023, and it’s been very positive, the best move we have made.

“So not only am I new to the NNUH, I am also new to Norfolk and enjoying this double new adventure, exploring Norfolk and getting to know colleagues, patients and families in a place I am thoroughly enjoying working.

“From the age of five, I wanted to be a nurse and, by 18, I started my training. After qualifying as a Registered Nurse in ITU and cardiac care, I became a specialist nurse and Cardiac Unit ward sister. When I had my children, I shifted to community nursing as a school nurse and GP practice nurse, which allowed me to balance my career and family life. As my children grew, I moved into management, helping improve services in southeast Essex. Later, I became an independent nurse specialist, working with companies bridging the gap between healthcare and industry. Returning to the NHS, I focused on quality in care homes and supported living, before becoming a quality and safety manager at Provide CIC. My career spans across the NHS, community, primary care, and industry.

“I decided to apply for the role of Head of Patient Experience because patient experience is something I’ve been involved in throughout my career in some shape or form, but had never had the opportunity to really focus on how we can engage with patients and their families to improve services and care.

“I was delighted when I was offered this position, to be able to continue my journey at the NNUH in a role I knew I would love, in a county I have also fallen in love with.

“This is the first place I’ve worked where I didn’t know anyone. It was strange at first, but everyone has been so welcoming. It’s a huge organisation, and I’ve been impressed by the sense of collaboration here.

“Now that I have settled into my role, I want to focus on how we can learn from incidents and complaints in a more integrated way. Using frameworks like PSIRF (Patient Safety Incident Response Framework), we can engage meaningfully with patients and families while working collaboratively across teams and systems. Ultimately, it’s about learning and improving and sharing those lessons we learn for the benefit of all.

“I feel lucky and privileged to work with such a dedicated team. Patient experience is at the heart of what we do, and I’m committed to making sure our services reflect that.”

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