Meet our new PPI Facilitator Mike Bell

Bristol Health Partners’ small core team has a new member. Mike Bell joins the team as our new Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Facilitator. Here he tells us a bit about himself, and what he’s going to be working on.

I was born in Yorkshire and lived in South Africa when I was 14 to 28. But I have lived in the West Country since 1987 and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

My early working life was in the printing industry. Computers began to replace the skills I had amassed over the years so, determined not to spend my life in front of a screen (ha ha) I changed direction and went to university as a mature student at 38.

Since then I have worked largely within the voluntary and statutory sectors in roles including supporting older and disabled people in improving access to health and social services, trying to recruit more disabled people into higher education, supporting tenants and residents groups, and more recently as an NHS complaints advocate. After five years of complaints, I am enjoying working with people with a more positive and balanced view of the NHS!

My role is to support the Health Integration Teams (HITs) with their day to day PPI requirements, from putting them in touch with the right kind of people to involve in their work, to organising focus groups. I will initially work with the HITs that have a focus on children and young people, but of course I am available to help, advise and coach all of our HITs. I look forward to working with you.