Biography 

Access the original biography provided by the candidate. 

Current Posts                           

Consultant, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Honorary Senior lecturer, University of East Anglia

President, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2019

Vice Chair, Clinical Standards, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, 2020

NHS Management and Leadership

I was Obstetrics and Gynaecology department head from 2004 to 2011. I am an effective communicator, leader and chair of meetings. Outside Norwich I was invited to chair the inaugural Safety and Quality Committee at the RCOG in 2009, completing a 4 year (extended) tenure in 2013. I was elected chairman of the British Menopause Society, 2013-2015, a post that comes with 2 additional years of senior society officer roles as chair elect and immediate past chairman.

Education

Undergraduate

I helped design the curriculum for Obstetrics & Gynaecology in Norwich as the new medical school was formed, was appointed hon. senior lecturer, and was lead for the clinical secondary care curriculum for 5 years. I brought my interest, skills and enthusiasm in medical school curricula to sit on the RCOG committee overseeing the National RCOG undergraduate curriculum in 2009.

Postgraduate

I have been an O&G specialty trainee educational supervisor since starting as a consultant. I provide local teaching as clinical trainer for minimal access surgery, endometriosis and outpatient hysteroscopy. I also teach research methodology, scientific paper analysis, communication skills and how to take consent, all of which encourage juniors to perform research. I was faculty member of the University of Bedford Trainer Development Programme’s Learning & Teaching Communication Skills from 2008-2016.

Research

I formed the Norwich Menopause and Endometriosis Research Unit early in my consultant careerand have a strong reputation in research and management of endometriosis and the menopause, bringing in industry sponsored randomised controlled trials. I have been successful in promoting the UK to large global pharmaceutical companies to perform their research here. I am UK chief investigator to several studies in progress and one in preparation.I have successfully supervised MD and PhD students.

My unit is currently the only global centre that examined how a selective progesterone modulator influences ectopic endometrial tissue. I regularly receive invitations to lecture nationally and internationally on these topics. I have delivered major lectures at the last 6 RCOG world congresses.

Clinical Governance; Safety, Quality and Innovation

I have been an active participant of the RCOG Clinical Quality Board for 9 years, chairing the Board 2016-19. I have been author of many governance documents and RCOG representative on national committees and working parties with an emphasis on patient safety and national audit. I am an innovator, inventing and bringing to market an endometrial biopsy device (“Suresample”, Gynex Inc. USA). More recently as a digital innovator I invented www.managemymenopause.co.ukwhich is one of a kind globally allowing women to obtain for free personalised, evidence based menopause advice.

Experience at the RCOG

I served on RCOG council as Fellows rep for the East of England from 2009 to 2016.  I was elected RCOG Vice President for Clinical Quality in 2016 and in 2019 I was elected as President of the RCOG after the first ever election by members and fellows nationally. During the transition to President and my first few weeks as President I oversaw the move of the College to our new home in South London and was able to announce our co-location with the Royal College of Midwives.

During my 3 year tenure as VP and in the past 18 months as President I have developed strong links with charitable, UK and Global Governments and have good relationships with key influencers, vital in ensuring that the voice of women is heard.

At the RCOG I have been investigator and chair of major research and audit projects addressing safe delivery of maternity care in the UK. I have been a senior team member securing funds and delivering the following projects:

• Each Baby Counts 2014-date, £140k, 2020
• National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA) 2016-2022, 3 grants totalling £4.17m
• Each Baby Counts: Learn and support 2019-2022 (a project that I also designed) £1.8m
• UK Brain Injuries project, £1.8m, 2021

I am nationally recognised for my work in safe maternity. As VP I led investigation of high profile system failures, helping units to improve. I led a national audit, identifying variations in UK care. As President I am committed to the elimination of health disparities, recently setting up the RCOG Race Equality Taskforce to improve maternity outcomes, reduce differential attainment and eliminate racist behaviour experienced during a career in O&G.

International

My proudest and most influential achievement is undoubtedly the COVID-19 guidance and the effect it has had not only in the UK, but globally, downloaded over 5.6 million times. 51% of the RCOG membership are from overseas and at one of our recent engagement events leaders from all countries present told me how instrumental the guidance was in them designing the response of their countries. They were particularly grateful for the speed at which it appeared.

My work in Europe has been varied. I have been a collaborative contact between EBCOG, other European societies and RCOG for many years. I am profoundly anti-Brexit and strongly feel that UK and EU medicine should continue to be inseparable. Under my leadership EBCOG and RCOG have become closer. I helped set up the European guidelines collaborative – a successful project initiated by NVOG.

My global RCOG work over past years has included forging links with our RCOG International Representative Committees, and high level involvement in the design and delivery of RCOG world congresses. I have lectured internationally since the mid 1990s. Since 2009 as a senior RCOG rep and patient safety expert I have used most international visits such as MRCOG exams, meeting national health leaders etc to talk to local obstetricians and gynaecologists in their own units or to their local societies.

As President I recognise the immense value to the UK and overseas trainees of travelling fellowship schemes and the well known MTI scheme. The pandemic has affected my plans to reignite this in the UK, but are now back on track.

Other roles I have:

• Numerous lectures internationally on menopause
• Co Editor in Chief of the journal “Post Reproductive Health” (2010-date)
• Leading the RCOG conversion of its exam to fully digital, allowing all to sit the exam around the globe
• Honorary Fellowship of the Indian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology