by
Ruth Ajayi, PSA Associate Board Member
| Jul 25, 2024
Ruth Ajayi joined our Board as an Associate Board Member in May 2024. The role is designed to provide experience of non-executive leadership roles. It came about as part of our first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan to enhance the diversity of the PSA’s Board.
In this blog, in the form of a Q&A, we find out more about Ruth, why she applied, what she aims to bring to the role, and what she hopes to gain from the experience.
Welcome to our Board, Ruth. You have already attended one meeting in May and have just returned from Cardiff where you attended your second meeting, so it seemed timely to catch up with you and ask you for your first impressions.
Q. You have held a number of roles and have a lot of experience working in the health and care sector. What drew you to the role of Associate Board member for the PSA?
I have always been passionate about patient-centred care and public protection, and this role provides an opportunity to continue my work in this vital area at a strategic level. As a patient advocate, the mission of the PSA – "to protect patients, service users, and the public by improving the regulation and registration of health and social care professionals” – deeply resonates with me.
Having worked in various roles within the health and care sector mostly as a Programme Manager, I was looking to transition to a career as a Non-Executive Director. The Associate Board Member role provides me with the training and experiences necessary for this progression and allows me to influence healthcare on a broader scale.
Q. And did you know much about professional regulation before you applied?
My understanding of professional regulation was quite basic before I applied for this role. However, the interview preparation process gave me a good insight into the complexities and importance of professional regulation.
Q. What are you hoping to gain from the experience as an Associate Board Member?
I aspire to gain many things from my experience as an Associate Board Member. This includes becoming a competent and experienced Non-Executive Director by utilising the structured induction, mentorship, and tailored training opportunities provided by the PSA.
I also hope to contribute to the strategic direction and governance of the PSA by utilising my experience and adding to the diversity of perspectives around the Board table.
Lastly, I aim to strengthen my professional network and build confidence in board-level responsibilities. This experience will prepare me for future Non-Executive opportunities within the healthcare sector and beyond.
Q. And what would you like the PSA to gain from your appointment and the skills, experience and expertise you bring to the role?
I hope the PSA can benefit from my experience in patient advocacy and public and patient involvement (PPI) to raise its profile among the public. The PSA can utilise my network to embed PPI in the implementation of its Strategic Plan 2023-2026, ensuring that patient voices are central to our initiatives.
I have a strong interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and I would like the organisation to explore how its adoption can enhance our efficiency. I am skilled and experienced in stakeholder engagement and PSA can utilise this with its counterparts in Europe and the rest of the world in fostering international collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Additionally, I bring a unique perspective to the Board due to my career path, which differs significantly from the traditional paths of most directors and board members. This diversity of thought will enrich board discussions and contribute to innovative, out-of-the-box solutions for the challenges we face.
Q. How do you think the lived experience can contribute to improving regulation and making care safer for all?
I strongly believe that lived experiences are crucial in improving regulation and making care safer for all. By learning from both success stories and adverse events, we can gain essential insights that drive meaningful change. If our organisation's ethos is to protect the public, we must continue to actively seek and incorporate the lived experiences of both the public and healthcare professionals.
Understanding their experiences and the challenges each party faces is essential. We need to learn what public protection means to them and gather their ideas on how the PSA can effectively collaborate with and support regulators and other key stakeholders. By doing so, we can support the regulators to facilitate an environment, systems, and processes that encourage and support healthcare providers in delivering safe care for members of the public.
Additionally, we can benefit greatly from learning from regulatory organisations similar to the PSA in other parts of the world. By understanding their approaches and the outcomes they have achieved, we can incorporate best practices and innovative solutions into our own regulatory frameworks.
This collaborative approach ensures that our regulatory frameworks are informed by real-world experiences, leading to more effective and practical solutions that ultimately enhance public safety.
Q. You are an advocate of patient-centred care – can you explain more about what this means and how it can improve healthcare? How could the regulators facilitate this approach?
Patient-centred care focuses on respecting and responding to the preferences, needs, and values of patients. It places the patient at the heart of all decisions, ensuring that they are active participants in their own care.
This approach can significantly improve healthcare by fostering better communication between patients and healthcare providers, which leads to more accurate diagnoses, increased adherence to treatment plans, and overall better health outcomes. When patients feel heard and respected, their trust in the healthcare system strengthens, leading to higher satisfaction and engagement.
Regulators have an important role in facilitating this approach. They can set standards and guidelines that prioritise patient-centred care, ensuring that healthcare providers adopt practices that truly involve patients in their own care. Additionally, regulators can support healthcare professionals in addressing the power dynamics that often exist between practitioners and patients. By promoting equal partnerships, healthcare professionals can ensure that patients feel empowered and respected.
Providing patients with all the information they need to make informed decisions is also essential. Regulators can mandate that healthcare providers offer comprehensive, understandable, and accessible information about diagnoses, treatment options, and potential outcomes. This transparency enables patients to make informed choices about their care, further enhancing their involvement and satisfaction.
Moreover, regulators can support training and development programs that equip healthcare professionals with the skills needed to implement patient-centred care effectively. By promoting continuous education and fostering a culture of empathy and respect, regulators can help healthcare providers better engage with their patients.
Regulators can also facilitate the collection and analysis of patient feedback to continuously improve care delivery. By promoting transparency and accountability, they can ensure that patient experiences and outcomes are consistently monitored and used to drive improvements in the healthcare system.
Regulators are already making strides in these areas, but it is crucial they continue to ensure healthcare providers and practitioners consistently adopt and embed the principles of patient-centred care into their practice – it should be the golden thread that runs through their practice. Continuous monitoring and reinforcement of these principles are necessary to sustain improvements in patient care and safety.
Q. What difference or contribution would you like to make during your term?
During my term, I aim to make a meaningful contribution by finding innovative ways for healthcare practitioners and the public to participate in our decision-making processes. I would love to see a regulator, healthcare practitioner, or member of the public share their experiences during our public board meetings. Additionally, I am keen to see the PSA collaborate with patient organisations and other patient- and public-focused organisations in the UK. Establishing a patient panel or network and including that in the governance of our board would be a significant achievement.
I would like to contribute to the strengthening of international collaboration by building relationships with similar organisations worldwide. This exchange of knowledge and best practices can lead to innovative solutions and improvements in healthcare regulation on a global scale.
I also hope that my contribution as an Associate Board Member will serve as evidence and a case study of how diversity and inclusion benefit boards in the UK. By proactively seeking diversity, the PSA is demonstrating the tangible benefits of varied perspectives and experiences in enhancing board effectiveness and decision-making.
Find out more about the PSA's Board
here.