Meet our Involvement Team

We are passionate about listening to patients, carers and the public and using their feedback to influence change in our local health services. We work with our commissioners to ensure we engage with local people when we change services.

We think innovation and partnership working is really important and we are committed to working creatively with providers, the voluntary sector and our wonderful team of  volunteers.

You can find out more about our work by exploring the ‘Get Involved‘ section of this website.

In the meantime, let us introduce ourselves….

Chris Bridle – Engagement Team Manager

Hello, my name is Chris Bridle.

I trained as a Youth and Community Worker and started my career as a Youth Worker in Leeds. I worked for several voluntary sector organisations before starting work in the NHS in 2002. My first job in the NHS was as a Public Health Specialist working in substance use, sexual health and prisons. In 2005, I started work as an Addiction Specialist, working with homeless drug users in Leeds City Centre. I have now been working in the NHS engagement team for ten years.

The best thing about working at the NHS LOICS is being given the freedom to do things differently and creatively.

I live in Leeds with my two children and in my spare time, you’ll find me walking in the countryside, taking photographs of anything and everything, going to music gigs and watching my beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

“You can’t always get what you want / but if you try sometime / you might find / get what you need”

– Rolling Stones

Caroline Mackay – Engagement Lead

Hello, my name is Caroline Mackay

Many years ago I qualified as an interior designer, but then life took me down a series of unexpected paths, and I ended up working for the Big Issue in the North, and then running an addiction and mental health charity in the centre of Leeds for many years.

I joined the NHS LOICS  in February 2018.

The best thing about working in the NHS LOICS is that having spent most of my working life in the voluntary sector, coming to the NHS LOICS was like a completely new challenge – I feel lucky to get to experience the provision of healthcare from this different perspective.

I love an adventure, and a road trip, especially around the North West coast of Scotland. I care about many things, including social justice, basic good manners, equitable health care but I’m not really bothered about favourite quotes!

Helen Butters – Senior Engagement Officer

Hello, my name is Helen Butters

I feel privileged to have worked for the NHS for many years.  I started my career at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, when I was a student, as a holiday job.  I loved it and decided to stay.  I completed a management fast track course and worked in many roles but latterly supporting the Chief Executive around investigating independent reviews. I took a break from work to have my children but returned in 2008 to work at Wakefield Primary Care Trust as an Engagement Manager and then working jointly with colleagues across Kirklees and Huddersfield.

I came back to Leeds in the role of Engagement Lead for Leeds South and East CCG, and I am now enjoying my time with the Engagement team at NHS LOICS.

The best thing about working in the NHS LOICS is the people.  I feel really lucky that my job enables me to work closely with patients and the public with the aim of improving health care for all.

I live in a village near York with my family.  As well as being a very proud mum, I am a bit of an adrenalin freak and can be found rowing across seas and oceans or climbing mountains.  I am very passionate about our planet which leads on to my favourite quote:

“There is no Planet B”

Adam Stewart – Senior Engagement Officer

Hello, my name is Adam Stewart.

I have a keen interest in mental health and I spent seven years working across several mental health hospitals in West Yorkshire. I’ve completed my undergraduate and masters in Human Psychology and Mental Health Practice respectively. Through this work, I developed my interest and passion for patient involvement and its importance; spending three years working as an Involvement Co-ordinator, making sure that service users are involved in all aspects of their care whilst in hospital and that they are heard. I’ve been working for the NHS since 2016 as part of the engagement team.

The best thing about working in the NHS LOICS is being able to take what I have learned previously and apply that to a wider context on a much larger scale in a variety of different ways.

I live in the Wetherby area with my partner and two house rabbits (Lily and Cassie). In my spare time, I like to go to live music gigs (Muse are my favourite band), play videogames and ‘treading the boards’ as part of the Wetherby Musical Theatre Group.

“You’ve got to be the best / You’ve got to change the world / And use this chance to be heard / Your time is now.”

– Butterflies & Hurriances, Muse

Huma Malik – Engagement Officer

Hello, my name is Huma Malik.

I have a background in young people’s mental health. I use to run Wellness recovery action planning groups. This is a 10 week programme that people can work through to support their mental health when they are feeling well and happy and when they start to feel unwell. Prior to this, I used to support young people’s mental health participation across the Bradford District. Through this amazing project we set up a new service for Bradford, a transition website and we supported schools with mental health. I am passionate about people’s voices being heard and trying to create positive outcomes to improve people’s lives.

I have a passion for young people and mental health which led me to set up a social enterprise. To support young people’s mental health through music, this is done through a series of workshops. The workshops are designed to build self-confidence, self-esteem, self-resilience, and self-expression.

I studied music prior to this for many years. I can play the flute and guitar. I use to rap and produce music when I was younger. I love spending time with my family as well as socialising with my friends.