Our Healthwatch Independent Strategic Advisory Board
Our board ensures that we fulfil our legal and statutory obligations. You can find out more about our board below.
ISAB chair - Vacant
Ashok Khandelwal
Advisory Board Member
Ashok has over 40 years of experience working in various senior positions across the NHS, Social Care and Probation Services. He moved from Blackpool to Bedford after his retirement from the NHS, where he served in many Voluntary and Community Organisations and has worked with faith organisations as Chair of the Fylde Coast Hindu Society.
Ashok is passionate about human rights and champions the rights of ethnic communities to equitable care and the need to support the NHS workforce from overseas. He is Hon. Director of Operations and International Affairs for the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) and Executive Board Member of the BAPIO Training Academy.
Elaine Singaram
Advisory Board Member
Elaine has developed close connections with Bedfordshire since buying her first home in the county in 1988. Originally from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Elaine has worked in the health sector here for approx. 40 years and has seen lots of change in that time. Elaine's background is as an occupational therapist, ward manager in mental health and a safeguarding adult specialist.
Elaine is passionate about health and social care and especially advocating for those with no or limited voice, supporting services, recognising good and notable practice as well as striving to be the best possible. All health care services are only as good as the staff within them and compassionate care goes a long way.
Gloria Chukwuji
Advisory Board Member
Gloria is a social prescriber for a community NHS trust. She is passionate about prevention and health protection. Having studied Public Health, she enjoys making a positive impact on people's lives. Health inequalities are a very big challenge for the health sector, which needs to be continually addressed. Gloria is keen to see that this gap is closed.
Healthwatch Bedford Borough advocates for the people of Bedford borough in terms of health and social care needs. Having worked for the organisation herself as a Community Outreach and Volunteer Officer, Gloria is confident that her decision to volunteer on the board will be meaningful. She will continue to be part of the wider team, touching the heart of Bedfordians in an impactful way.
Jag Lehal
Advisory Board Member
Jag brings over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical marketing, strategic consultancy, and patient advocacy. With a background in biotechnology and a career spanning both industry and agency roles, she has led award-winning campaigns and contributed to national health policy work, with a particular focus on improving patient access to medicines and services.
Jag is passionate about understanding and addressing health and social care needs at a grassroots level. As a British Asian and first-generation professional, Jag’s lived experience and insight enrich her contributions to our mission. She is especially focused on ensuring that the challenges faced by underrepresented groups in accessing healthcare are better understood and addressed.
Samantha Denness
Advisory Board Member
Samantha has extensive experience working within the Civil Service and is presently employed in a scrutiny and complaints role, where she applies her skills to ensure accountability and service improvement.
Having lived in Bedford for many years, Samantha joined Healthwatch Bedford Borough to help ensure that residents of Bedford have access to services that are inclusive, responsive, and accessible to all, having experience herself of navigating the complex world of care for family members with additional needs.
Nicola Beacon
Advisory Board Member
Nicola (Nicci) is a Chartered Member of CIPD, a qualified lecturer and assessor, and currently serves as the learning & development manager at a large college in Bedfordshire. With over 20 years of human resources experience in the public sector, particularly in further and higher education, Nicci is passionate about supporting staff development, mentoring, and safeguarding. She brings a strong commitment to empowering individuals and fostering positive change.
Nicci is proud to serve on the board, where her expertise can help shape strategic direction and ensure accountability. Her decision to join reflects her belief in the power of community voice; she sees it as a rewarding opportunity to improve local health and social care services by shaping how they are delivered and ensuring they truly reflect the needs of the local people they serve.
Scarlet Broughton
Advisory Board Member
Scarlet is a dedicated 1:1 Learning Support Assistant in a local primary school, and her main focus is supporting SEND students who are still learning to communicate. It has been her privilege to help these students feel heard and see their confidence grow. Having been born and bred in Bedford, Scarlet is very proud of the town she grew up in and feels it is an incredibly diverse town with so many stories to be told.
Scarlet has seven years of experience working with a local charity and would like to continue contributing to her local community. She is honoured to serve on the Healthwatch board, helping to amplify local voices.
Abbey Barlow
Clerk to the board
Abbey has experience working within the charity sector across BLMK. She provides administrative support to the board, which includes diary management, event bookings, and minute-taking.
If you wish to speak with members of our board, please contact Abbey in the first instance via:
ISAB Papers
Here you will find ISAB meeting papers