Governance

How the FSRH is governed

FSRH has four main groups with different roles, responsibilities and authorities for the work of the FSRH;

  • Board of Trustees and its committees
  • Council and its committees
  • President and Officers 
  • Chief Executive and staff 

The role of each of these groups were carefully defined following recommendations made by an independently chaired Governance Working Group following extensive consultation and review. The FSRH Articles of Association were updated in 2017 to reflect these new arrangements.

The aim of these arrangements is to support efficient and effective decision making between the groups that supports the overall charitable aims of the FSRH and its strategy.

About our Board of Trustees

The Board of trustees (‘the Board’) is the body with the legal duty to protect the mission and vision of the FSRH and to ensure that it is run in accordance with legal requirements.

The role of the Board is to provide good governance and leadership by:

  • Determining policy and strategy
  • Appointing the Chief Executive (who is overseen by the Chair of the Board on behalf of the Board)
  • Agreeing an annual budget and business plan and monitoring these
  • Setting salary levels, and agreeing the salary of the CEO
  • Setting and monitoring procedures for assessing and managing risk
  • Taking advice from members, Council, Committees and from specialist advisors
  • Ensuring good communications between the Board, the Council and the membership, and providing feedback on Board decisions and discussions to these groups
  • Monitoring performance
  • Representing the FSRH externally, nationally and internationally when relevant. 

The Board meet 4 times a year. Board members are not remunerated for their Board/trustee work.

Membership of the Board is laid out in the FSRH Articles of Association currently:

  • the President;
  • the Senior Vice-President; 
  • one other member of Council elected by Council (“Elected Trustee”); 
  • the Treasurer (an “Appointed Trustee”);
  • up to 4 persons being Fellow, Members, Diplomates or Nurse Diplomates (“Appointed Trustees”); 
  • up to 4 other trustees (“Appointed Trustees”).

Meet the Board in the tab below.

The Board can establish committees to carry out aspects of its work and are responsible for overseeing the work of these committees. See the details of the board committees on the tab below.

About our Council

Council is the professional, membership body of the FSRH, responsible for implementing its mission and contributing its clinical expertise to meeting long-term goals and aims.

Council have oversight of professional and clinical matters related to SRH and the specialty including;

  • Education and Training 
  • Clinical standards 
  • Clinical guidance 
  • Supporting the leadership and development of the workforce 
  • Ensuring the views of the membership are considered in FSRH discussions
  • Admission and removal of Faculty membership
  • Liaising on such matters with other organisations

All Council activity must be in line with the mission, goals, ethos and values of the FSRH.

The Council can establish Committees to carry out any aspect of its work (once approved in the budget) and Council are responsible for overseeing the work of these Committees. See the link to the Council committees on the tab below. 

Council input into, make recommendations to and advise the Board on clinical and professional issues.

Council members participate in an annual strategy event held in partnership with the Board to review and discuss longer term strategy.

Membership of Council

  • the President;
  • the five other Officers; 
  • one person nominated in writing by the RCOG (“College Nominee”) 
  • up to six FSRH Fellows or Members (“Elected Member”); 
  • up to four FSRH Diplomates or Nurse Diplomates (“Elected member”);
  • up to six co-opted members appointed by the Council (“Co-opted members of the Council”); 

Meet the current council members on the tab below.

All council members and trustees have to sign up to and adhere to the FSRH Code of Governance

View our Council's Terms of Reference here. 

About our Officers

The Officers are elected according to the by-laws and are responsible to Council.

 

Each Officer has responsibility for a different area of the work of the FSRH. Their roles include:

  • Supporting the President and Council to implement the aims and plans of Council 
  • Overseeing and advising on a specific area of FSRH Council work, ensuring that it is being carried out within the strategic aims of the FSRH and in line with the approved strategy, plans and budget 
  • Ensuring that appropriate reports are made to, and advice taken from, the President, Chief Executive and Council.
  • Monitoring and coordinating the work of their allocated Council committees and committee chairs, including reporting back to Council. 
  • Taking proposals for new pieces of work not in the plans/budget to Council and the Board for approval. 

Officers often also act as spokespersons for the FSRH. 

The Senior Vice President is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and has responsibility for chairing Council or Board meetings in the absence of the President.

About our CEO

The Faculty CEO is directly accountable to the Board of Trustees including the Chair for the operational management and performance of the FSRH and to the Council for the delivery, within the governance framework, of the strategic and operational plans related to the charitable objects. The key roles of the CEO are to lead the FSRH staff; to be the key interface between President, Officers and staff, particularly in delivering objectives; and to support the Board in developing strategy.

The CEO reports directly to the President. As the most senior paid official, the CEO ensures that relationships are effective by working closely with the President and Officers and by giving leadership to Faculty staff to carry out the priorities of the FSRH. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that the Faculty’s resources are properly and effectively used within the legal, governance, budgetary and operational frameworks established. The Chief Executive has the final authority to manage these resources (in accordance with Faculty financial policies) on behalf of Trustees and the Council and accounts directly for his or her actions to the President.

FSRH Governance 2020

FSRH Board

Read profiles of our FSRH Trustees

FSRH Trustee Biographies

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Janet Barter 

Janet Barter (Member Trustee, Chair and President of FSRH)

Following undergraduate training in Sheffield, Janet switched to obstetrics and gynaecology from GP training after realising from work in UK and West Africa the crucial importance of women’s health.

Training in O&G included endocrinology, fertility, menopause, PMS, menstrual disorders and medical gynaecology, as well as contraception and abortion.

She has expertise in sexual problems work and care of women who have been affected by FGM. During three London Consultant SRH posts Janet has developed clinical and teaching skills across the whole of SRH, and is now Training Programme Director for CSRH in London, and she was Chair of FSRH’s Specialty Advisory Committee. 

Dr Janet Barter was confirmed as FSRH President in June 2022.

Zara Haider 

Dr Zara Haider (Member Trustee, Vice Chair and Senior Vice President of FSRH)

Having completed subspecialty training at the Margaret Pyke Centre and a Darzi Fellowship I was appointed Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare at the Wolverton Centre, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in October 2012.

I am the London CSRH Training Programme Director (elect) and Educational Supervisor to a CSRH trainee. I am the immediate past Chair of the FSRH Meetings Committee and past chair of the FSRH Trainees Committee.

  Kate Guthrie

Kate Guthrie (Member Trustee)

Kate started her career specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology but her consultant appointment was to establish community based Gynaecology within Family Planning services in Hull. She ultimately led what became the Hull and East Riding Integrated Sexual Health Service, including community gynaecology, abortion, HIV, vasectomy and men’s sexual health care, until she retired from the NHS in 2016. Past responsibilities include being a Faculty Treasurer and Vice President and secondments to the Department of Health and Public Health England. Current responsibilities lie within the charitable sector and for NHS England. She is delighted to be appointed as a Faculty Trustee in such interesting times for public health care. 

 Harriet Edge trustee of FSRH

Dr Harriet Edge

Since qualifying as a GP in 2017, Harriet has developed an interest in Sexual and Reproductive Health. She is passionate about minimising barriers for women accessing abortion care and improving access to long-active reversible contraception.

Harriet is also currently undertaking a Masters' degree in Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. She feels that data driven insights and technology can be leveraged to create improvements in the quality, efficiency and inclusivity of healthcare services.

She has always had a deep appreciation of the work FSRH does to provide clinicians with the high-quality guidance and training they need to deliver excellent SRH care. She is very pleased to be appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees and will work to ensure that the FSRH continues to support the needs of both patients and healthcare professionals.

 Emmert Robert

Dr Emmert Roberts (Member Trustee)

Emmert is a Clinical Research Fellow in the National Addiction Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and an Honorary Specialist Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry at the South London and the Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust.

He graduated with a distinction in medicine from the University of Oxford in 2010 and is a member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Psychiatrists. He has previously worked as a Research Fellow at the National Clinical Guideline Centre, contributing to national NICE guidance in the diagnosis and management of osteoarthritis, acute heart failure and hepatitis C. During 2012 he worked at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute in Bermuda conducting research into stigmatisation of mental health conditions in print media.

His is currently undertaking a PhD and his research focus is on drug and alcohol service provision and its impact on hospitalisation and mortality. He has a strong interest in substance misuse, sexual health and the overlap of physical and mental health conditions and is a Diplomate member of the FSRH.

 Dr Sylvia Kama-Kieghe Trustee

Dr Sylvia Kama-Kieghe

Sylvia is passionate about promoting women's health and uses her platform as a GP in Sheffield to deliver care and support to people and their families around their sexual and reproductive health.

Sylvia's areas of interest are to provide much-needed awareness and guidance for women and their families in low and middle-income countries around both general and reproductive health issues. To this end, she developed a health information platform, Askawayhealth, which she signposts users to appropriate treatment. Sylvia is an out of hours GP supervisor, GP tutor and examiner for the University of Sheffield Medical School.

Sylvia has been a diplomate member of FSRH since qualifying as a GP in 2009 and is enthusiastic about working with the FSRH Trustee board to promote its objectives, especially in its quest to promote sexual and reproductive health awareness in all UK communities.

 anne godfrey profile picture

Anne Godfrey (Lay Trustee)

Anne is chief executive of GS1 UK, a 58,000 strong membership and standards body that helps organisations keep consumers and patients informed and protected through the use of data and standards.

Anne specialises in change management within the not-for-profit space, she has a proven track record of delivering challenging targets while harnessing the skills, knowledge and passion of members, staff and external stakeholders.

Previously, Anne held leadership roles across a diverse range of membership organisations, including time as CEO at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Anne’s earlier career was in academic and professional publishing and included sales, marketing and product development roles for publishers such as Prentice Hall and Thomson Reuters.
Anne is a passionate advocate for women and girls and looks forward to working with the FSRH to promote awareness of women’s sexual and reproductive health.

 Martyn Booth

Mr Martyn Booth (Externally Appointed Trustee)

Martyn is an information security leader at a FTSE 250 company. He has responsibility for the areas of information security and privacy across the group. He also works closely with the risk team. He's dedicated to making organisations more secure and to implementing governance structures that support the business but also make it more accountable to its various stakeholders. He's been working with senior leadership on security initiatives for over 15 years and has a strong track record of improving the governance of organisations but without inhibiting their business initiatives.

 Treasurer FSRH

Ms Nikki Patel Arjuna (Externally Appointed Trustee)

Treasurer

Nikki has a strong financial services background, managing market-facing roles combined with senior level internal-facing responsibilities. This has recently been complemented by personal and professional experiences in the social and health care sectors.

Nikki has over 15 years’ experience in financial services and is currently working at HSBC, as Director, Head of Portfolio & Analytics for their Balance Sheet Management team for the UK. Previous to her current role, she was MD, Head of International Portfolio Management at State Street Bank & Trust, Global Treasury, where she reported into the CIO and International Treasurer aligning the portfolio with corporate strategy and held various internal governance roles.

Nikki also holds a non-executive board position with Avante, a large social care service provider in the South East; and owns a family residential care business.

Nikki is excited to lend her expertise to the FSRH and be part of a platform where she can make a difference to an important, far-reaching, life-changing cause - as this area of science has traditionally been seen as an area of taboo and addressed mainly behind closed doors hindering the ability to make positive changes; and sees establishments, such as FSRH, making huge strides to bring this topic out into the light in recent years and changing perceptions towards the subject.

 

 Ruth Bailey

Ruth Bailey MSc BSc (Hons) RGN DFSRH Onc Cert FRT QN

Ruth Bailey is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for Sexual Health in primary care, providing clinical expertise in contraception, sexual health, cervical screening and menopause care. She holds the DFSRH, letters of competence in LARC procedures and is a non-medical prescriber and a newly accredited Faculty Registered Trainer.

Ruth has been a member of the RCN Women’s health forum steering committee for the last 4 years, where she has contributed to a broad range of campaigns, projects and resources which include highlighting period poverty, pocket guides to women’s health, menstrual wellbeing, RCN guidance on FGM, Abortion and genital examination and most recently leading a joint project with NAPS to highlight PMS/PMDD.

Ruth is passionate about developing the role of Nursing in SRH and contributed to the RCN/HEE careers guidance and directory in sexual health.

Ruth is looking forward to working with colleagues across organisations to amplify nurse engagement within the FSRH.

 

Trustee Stephen Bowen

Stephen Bowen (External Trustee)

Stephen is a social justice and human rights advocate, lawyer and academic with over 30 years' experience of human rights work internationally, as well as here in the United Kingdom. He originally trained as a barrister, and practised from the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC, before leaving to join the United Nations.

Stephen was Chief Human Rights Officer to the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, with lead responsibility for implementing the mandate for human rights investigations under UN Security Council Resolution 1088 (1996).

He was also Chief Legal Counsel to the Election Appeals Sub-Commission, the quasi-judicial body created under Annex 6 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (The Dayton Agreement).

Stephen has held senior positions within a number of leading human rights NGOs, including: Campaigns Director, Amnesty International UK; Chief Executive Officer, British Institute of Human Rights; Legal Adviser to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; Director, Sigrid Rausing Trust; Programme Director, International Human Rights Law Group, and Director of FIELD (The Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development).

Stephen was Visiting Professor of International Human Rights Law at Queen Mary, University of London between 2010 and 2017, teaching on their LL.M. Programme. He has been a Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Politics and International Relations at Kingston University since 2004, teaching on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, with an emphasis on the intersection between human rights theory and practice.

He is also a Trustee of Manchester Pride.

Dariel Burdass Lay Trustee

Dariel Burdass (Lay Trustee)

Dariel is Chief Executive of The Physiological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. She has worked for over 20 years in the learned society sector initially for the Microbiology Society and now The Physiological Society. She has a broad portfolio across the complete range of functions that underpin the position of Chief Executive from strengthening strategic direction, delivering major governance reforms, performance measurement, stakeholder engagement, digital leadership through to oversight of major operational initiatives.

With a post graduate qualification in communications, Dariel has key strengths in digital transformation having overseen the rebranding of the Microbiology Society as well as the launch of two corporate and one educational website.

She has gained extensive experience of working with and influencing a diverse group of stakeholders including members, policymakers, politicians and funders. With a successful track record in guiding the direction of public affairs strategy which has enabled the organisations she has works for to be viewed as the primary source and conduit of information for their discipline.

Dariel is also a Trustee of the Science Council.

She is excited to be joining the Trustee Board bringing her skills and experience in governance and strategy to help deliver the FSRH’s strategic plan.

FSRH Code of Governance

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As a trustee and council member I will:

  • Operate in line with FSRH values, mission and ethos
  • Value the range of country contexts we work within 
  • Work within Nolan's principles of public life: adapted and in summary these are;
  • Selflessness - take decisions solely in the best interests of the Faculty
  • Integrity - not place myself under any financial or other obligation to outside individual or organisations
  • Objectivity - to make choices on merit, evidence and best practice
  • Accountability - be accountable for our decisions and actions, and submit to ourselves to appropriate scrutiny 
  • Openness - be open about decisions and actions we take, restricting information only when necessary 
  • Honesty - declare relevant private interests and take steps to resolve conflicts 
  • Leadership - promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

As a board and council we will;

  • Value and utilise the range of personal and professional skills and expertise and ensure this diversity of skills is our strength 
  • Work together to ensure effective leadership, influence and timely decision making 
  • Ensure consumer voices inform strategy and priorities 
  • Provide leadership and support to the Faculty staff

As a board we will work in line with the national code of good governance, and provide effective leadership and governance by;

  • Understanding our governance role and having clear and defined ways of effective working with Council 
  • Ensuring delivery of organisational purpose 
  • Working effectively as individuals, as a team, with Council and with the staff team 
  • Exercising effective control 
  • Behaving with integrity 
  • Being open and accountable

As a board, council and staff team we will;

  • Provide visible and effective leadership of the FSRH and ensure we are an efficient organisation providing excellent support for our members
  • Support the Faculty in championing SRH, including access to abortion
  • Support and challenge ourselves, each other and our teams
  • Have clear goals and review our performance against these on a regular basis.

FSRH Officers

FSRH Officers

FSRH Officer Biographies

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Janet Barter

President of FSRH 

Janet Barter (Member Trustee, Chair and President of FSRH)

Following undergraduate training in Sheffield, Janet switched to obstetrics and gynaecology from GP training after realising, from work in UK and West Africa, the crucial importance of women’s health.

Training in obstetrics and gynaecology included endocrinology, fertility, menopause, PMS, menstrual disorders, and medical gynaecology, as well as contraception and abortion.

She has expertise in sexual problems work and care of women who have been affected by FGM. During three London Consultant SRH posts Janet has developed clinical and teaching skills across the whole of SRH and was the Training Programme Director for CSRH in London and was previously Chair of FSRH’s Specialty Advisory Committee and Senior Vice President, Specialty.

Dr Janet Barter was confirmed as FSRH President in September 2022.

Dr Cindy Farmer - Vice President of General Training

Vice President: General Training

Dr Cindy Farmer

Cindy qualified in 1999 from Birmingham Medical school with Honours in Medicine and Biochemistry. Her interest in women’s health was sparked when she volunteered as a medical student at a charity whose mission was to help individuals leave the sex trade. She passed her Diploma in Genitourinary Medicine in 2004 and was awarded the MFSRH in 2010. She works in Bristol as a Specialty Doctor in sexual and reproductive health with a particular interest in complex contraception. 

Cindy holds a postgraduate certification in medical education from Bristol University, having attained a distinction in all 4 of her module assignments. She enjoys being involved in teaching and learning and is an undergraduate medical student supervisor as well as an educational supervisor for postgraduate specialty training. She is also joint SAS Tutor for her trust. 

 

 Dr Helen Munro resized

Vice President: Clinical Quality

Dr Helen Munro, Consultant Community Sexual and Reproductive Health, Hywel Dda University Health Board
 

Helen is a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare with Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB), SW Wales. She is FSRH Vice President (Quality). Helen has had a varied career to date beginning in Scotland, where she graduated from Dundee University. She completed training in General Practice there, before moving to work in Namibia South West Africa.  On her return to the UK she completed an MSc in Public Health at LSHTM before taking up a role in North London within an integrated contraception and sexual health clinic. She completed the CESR training route in Community Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in 2017, when she moved with her family to South Wales to take up her Consultant post.
Helen has a special interest in Menopause care, and has set up and leads the Menopause Service for HDUHB.  She has also taken up a role as a Research Lead for Contraception and Reproductive Health within the health board, linking in with both Aberystwyth University, where she was conferred the title of Honorary Professor, and Cardiff University, to develop a portfolio of projects that focus on key issues related to SRH.

She was recently awarded the prestigious Health and Care Research Wales, Research Time Award, which will provide financial support over the next three years to developing her research career. She is co-applicant on the NIHR funded CONNECT Study which aims to understand the impact of remote consultations in SRH services on health inequalities. Helen is a Bevan Exemplar Cohort 8, with a project looking to develop and pilot a shared decision making tool to support HPV self-sampling online. Helen is also the Theme 1 (Menstrual Health and Menopause) co-lead for the NIHR Reproductive Health PRU awarded to University College London.

ORCHID ID 0000-0002-0402-0493

 Charlotte porter - FSRH Council member

Vice President: Specialty

Dr Charlotte Porter

Charlotte’s interest in sexual health began in Liverpool, and she subsequently worked in Edinburgh, Bristol and Oxford, completing a CCT in obstetrics and gynaecology before undertaking top-up training in community gynaecology. Charlotte has been a consultant in community sexual and reproductive healthcare (community gynaecology) since 2001, working both in primary and secondary care. She has experienced first-hand how the changes in commissioning and service integration have affected those practising in the specialty. 

Charlotte has been a specialty trainer since 2002 when she set up a sub-specialty programme in Nottingham and she is now a TPD for East Midlands and Yorkshire and was previously the Chair of the specialty advisory committee at FSRH. 

Zara Haider

Senior Vice President:  Workforce Strategy

Dr Zara Haider

Having completed subspecialty training at the Margaret Pyke Centre and a Darzi Fellowship I was appointed Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare at the Wolverton Centre, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in October 2012.

I am the London CSRH Training Programme Director (elect) and Educational Supervisor to a CSRH trainee. I am the immediate past Chair of the FSRH Meetings Committee and past chair of the FSRH Trainees Committee.

Dr Maryam Nasri

Vice President: Membership

Dr Maryam Nasri

Dr Maryam Nasri is a Community Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare consultant and a GP in London. She has worked in primary care as a GP and in contraception as a specialist and while continuing with both roles, has successfully achieved CESR and become a CSRH consultant. For the past 16 years, she has worked in primary care, community settings and acute care with a variety of providers and has witnessed the evolution in SRH over the years.

Maryam started her career as a GP and obtained her MRCGP with distinction in 2006. During her GP registrar year, she obtained her DFFP and developed an interest in women’s health. In 2009, she decided to expand her portfolio and take the MFSRH. In 2014, she set up a LARC clinic, which became a women’s health and sexual health clinic in the surgery, offering all methods of contraception, managing menopause, PMS, PCO and other women’s related issues as well as offering sexual health services to both men and women.

Maryam has also been an FSRH trainer for more than ten years, training a wide variety of healthcare professionals in a range of different settings. She has worked in many services such as menopause clinics, complex contraception clinics, integrated clinics with GUM specialists and as a sexual assault officer.

Her experience enables her to deliver a holistic and life course approach, alongside a broad insight into the delivery of care, patient and clinician needs, in both primary and specialist care.

FSRH Council

Our FSRH Council members are listed below

FSRH Elected Council Member Biographies

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FSRH Council is made up of elected Fellows, Members and Diplomats as well as lay people who might be co-opted onto FSRH Council. 

 Emma Fall

Dr Emma Fall BM MRCGP DFSRH DTM&H (Diplomate Representative)

Emma is a GP based in Poole, Dorset. She is the contraceptive lead for a primary care network which is now the largest single primary care provider in Dorset.

She is passionate about women’s health, a regular coil fitter as well as undertaking menopause training with the BMS.

She enjoys teaching, especially in women’s health and hopes to energise, engage and empower colleagues at all levels in this field.

She has recently set up and oversees the LARC service within the primary care network and is keen to develop and learn from her FSRH colleagues.

Her ambition is to be involved with central policy and disseminate this locally. She particularly relishes the opportunity to connect with a multi-disciplinary team and harness future engagement within sexual and reproductive health.

Emily Simon Diplomate Representative

Dr Emily Simon MBChB MRCGP DRCOG DFFP MIPM (Diplomate Representative)

Emily works as a GP in North London and as a GPwSI for the Haringey Islington Community Gynae collaborative. This is a service triaging and managing all GP referrals to Gynae in the community whenever possible.

She has recently attained membership to the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine and works with patients experiencing any sort of sexual dysfunction. She is a member of the British Menopause Society and has trained with them in managing complex menopause patients.

She has previously worked at The Brandon Centre which is a sexual health clinic for teenagers and young adults, and in Community Gynaecology at The Royal Free hospital in family planning, menopause and TOP clinics. She was the GP representative for the clinical advisory group for The London Sexual Health Transformation project.

Her other love is medical education, and she is a registered GP trainer. She lectures regularly on Women’s Health in Medical Schools and GP training seminars, and has spent years training GPs in matters related to Sexual health as part of the SHIP project.

She is passionate about delivering safe, efficient, high-quality care to women of all ages, and encouraging them to understand and feel empowered in their own healthcare decisions. 

 Sinead Cook

Dr Sinead Cook (Member/Fellow Representative and Interim Scotland Committee Chair)

Dr Sinead Cook is a consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health working in Grampian Sexual Health Services, with the main clinic being based in Aberdeen. The service serves both urban and rural populations in the North East of Scotland. She recently completed her specialty training in Cardiff prior to taking her consultant post in Grampian. 

She is lead for young people and child protection in the service and is particularly committed to providing SRH services for young people and vulnerable populations. She is very passionate about teaching and training and also SRH internationally, having done various training and research in low-and-middle-income countries.

She has enjoyed previous participation in the FSRH International Affairs Committee, Clinical Studies Group, UKMEC 2016 Guideline Development Group and CSRH Curriculum Review Group.

As a member of Council, she looks forward to continuing supporting the work of the FSRH’s vision of high-quality sexual and reproductive health at every stage of our lives.

Nikki Jeal photo

Nikki Jeal (Fellow/Member Representative)

Nikki is currently based in Barnstaple where she is a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health. The sexual health service at Barnstaple serves a largely rural community and is the northern hub of Devon Sexual Health which includes Exeter and Torbay.

She is interested in service delivery to groups who find sexual health services difficult to access despite unmet need. She is hoping to use insights gained during
previous health services research to inform service development for the rural setting.

She was previously a consultant/NIHR Research Fellow in Unity Sexual Health/University of Bristol where she worked with on and off-street sex workers, men using public sex venues, the local women’s jail and as a forensic medical examiner for sexual offences.

She is keen to be involved with the work of the Faculty as it continues to drive up the standards of sexual healthcare and support sexual health services as they navigate the post COVID sexual health landscape.

 Marion Norbrook Fellow/Member Representative

Marion Norbrook MBChB MSc DRCOG MFSRH FRCP(Fellow/Member Representative)

Marion is a Specialty Doctor in Sexual Health at the Wolverton Centre for Sexual Health, Kingston Hospital NHS Trust and an Early Medical Abortion Physician at MSI Reproductive Choices. She is the SAS Clinical Tutor for her Trust and previous South London HEE SAS Chair.

Marion’s areas of interest include LARC and she holds the letter of competence for IUC and sub-dermal implants. She leads on undergraduate teaching and sexual health simulation in her department.

As SAS Tutor she has experience in supporting doctors through CESR and running development programs for SAS. Marion is interested in global SRH and gained further experience in this field whilst studying an MSc in reproductive and sexual health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Marion looks forward to representing members and offering her broad experience of SRH to support and champion the FSRH at a national level.

 Dr Manisha Singh FSRH

Manisha Singh (Fellow/Member Representative)

Manisha is Consultant in Community Gynaecology and Sexual Reproductive Health in Leeds since 2008 as well as Honorary Senior Lecturer at University of Leeds.

She leads the Community Gynaecology service and her areas of interest include complex contraception & LARCs, adolescent gynaecology & sexual health and menopause.

Manisha is a keen educator and trainer and is involved with undergraduate and postgraduate education. She is CSRH Educational Supervisor and Training Programme Director for Yorkshire & Humber.

She is the chair of Faculty Workforce Development & Support Committee and is committed to the wider workforce needs and ambitions of the multi-disciplinary workforce.

Ruth Bailey

Ruth Bailey MSc BSc (Hons) RGN DFSRH Onc Cert FRT QN

Ruth Bailey is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for Sexual Health in primary care, providing clinical expertise in contraception, sexual health, cervical screening and menopause care. She holds the DFSRH, letters of competence in LARC procedures and is a non-medical prescriber and a newly accredited Faculty Registered Trainer.

Ruth has been a member of the RCN Women’s health forum steering committee for the last 4 years, where she has contributed to a broad range of campaigns, projects and resources which include highlighting period poverty, pocket guides to women’s health, menstrual wellbeing, RCN guidance on FGM, Abortion and genital examination and most recently leading a joint project with NAPS to highlight PMS/PMDD.

Ruth is passionate about developing the role of Nursing in SRH and contributed to the RCN/HEE careers guidance and directory in sexual health.

Ruth is looking forward to working with colleagues across organisations to amplify nurse engagement within the FSRH.

Maria Viner - Council lay representative

Maria Viner (Lay representative)

Maria is CEO of Mothers for Mothers, a Maternal Mental Health Charity based in Bristol.

She is a member of the Women’s Network of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and a lay examiner. Maria sits on the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit Perinatal Mental Health Sprint Audit Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Programme Delivery Team for the Tommy's National Centre for Maternity Improvement where she is the PPI lead. Maria speaks regularly as an expert by experience and is a Maternal Mental Health Alliance Everyone's Business Campaign Champion. She is often invited to speak and deliver training at local and national events, hospital training days and for a range of community organisations and healthcare professionals. Maria has over 16 years experience of PPI work to include delivering workshops, focus groups and community of practice events.

Maria completed the Kings Fund Top Manager Programme in 2019.

Maria is a passionate advocate for Women’s health and elevating grass roots voices. She is committed to ensuring the voices of women and girls influence education, service design and provision as well as national policies, guidelines, patient information leaflets and research.

Dr Sophie Nicholls

Dr Sophie Nicholls (SAS Lead Doctor)

Dr Sophie Nicholls is currently the SAS Lead Doctor for the FSRH.  She works as a Specialty Doctor in Sexual & Reproductive Health in Southampton and her role includes providing all aspects of contraception including Vasectomy and seeing GU patients. 

Sophie trained as a GP and has worked in both General Practice and SRH in Australia where she was involved in setting up a new Vasectomy Service.   She is currently part of the Vasectomy Guardian working group at the FSRH.  Sophie also represents the FSRH on the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges SAS Committee and the BASHH SAS Committee. 

Sophie is passionate about both Sexual & Reproductive Health and SAS Doctor’s opportunities and career progression.  She is hoping to improve communication for SAS Doctors working in SRH and help enable opportunities through the new FSRH SAS Committee she is forming.  

Dr Ranee Thakar MD FRCOG

Dr Ranee Thakar (MD FRCOG)

Ranee Thakar MD FRCOG became President of the RCOG on 9 December 2022. Ranee is a Consultant Obstetrician and Urogynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer, St George’s University of London.

Ranee has a long-standing commitment to the RCOG, having fulfilled a number of important roles including Secretary of the British Society of Urogynaecology, honorary director of conferences, and Council representative for South Asia. Most recently, Ranee was Senior Vice President for Global Health, from 2019-2022.

Ranee has a proven track record for supporting colleagues and has been co-chair of the RCOG Race Equality Taskforce since 2020. Ranee will continue to lead the RCOG’s work to tackle inequalities across women’s health as one of her Presidential priorities. 

Ranee has an impressive academic profile with over 200 publications and has made a significant contribution to improving perineal trauma outcomes by training obstetricians and midwives to provide safer maternity care for women globally. She is past President of the International Urogynecological Association and leads the national obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) Care Bundle Project. Regionally, Ranee leads the Perinatal Pelvic Health Project and Urogynaecology network for South-West London, developing multi-disciplinary collaboration with urologists, midwives, physiotherapists, nurses and GPs.  

Nikki Kersey

Nikki Kersey (CSRH trainees committee chair)

Nikki Kersey is an ST5 Community Sexual Reproductive Health (CSRH) specialty trainee, based in Liverpool. She has special interests in complex contraception, contraception post pregnancy, menopause and abortion care and enjoys teaching and training.

Nikki has previously worked at Health Education North West for one year as a leadership fellow, advocating to improve junior doctors’ working lives. Prior to starting CSRH training, she spent time working in Australia and in a Greek Refugee Camp.

As Chair of the CSRH Trainees Committee, Nikki is keen to advocate for the trainee voice and establish links between the trainee body and FSRH governance.

Michael Mulholland

Dr Michael Mulholland

Michael Mulholland is a GP at Unity Health a 4-site practice for 23000 patients across the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire border where he has practised for over 20 years.   
   
He is an active GP trainer and has interest in medical education having a MSc in Medical Education and having previously held roles in Health Education in both development of the multi-professional workforce and as an Associate GP Dean with a particular interest in scaling Quality Improvement initiatives in primary care.

Within the RCGP he has had roles ranging from Chair and Council Rep of Thames Valley Faculty, to being part of the GP at Scale and Regional Ambassador programmes before being elected to national roles firstly as Vice Chair (Professional Development) and now Honorary Secretary.

The role of Honorary Secretary involves holding officer responsibility for both internal RCGP governance and representing the professional standards and clinical policy of General Practice externally.

 

Dr Georgina Forbes, FSRH Wales Committee Chair

Dr Georgina Forbes, FSRH Wales Committee Chair

Dr Georgina Forbes is a Specialist Doctor in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare working in Aneurin Bevan University Healthboard, South Wales. Her clinical work covers contraception, genitourinary medicine, abortion care and menopause care. She is the service lead for Safeguarding and medically complex contraception. Her interests include post natal contraception provision and improving access to LARC. She is passionate about teaching and can often be found sharing her knowledge and passion with others.

She is dedicated to promoting the SAS grade as a career choice and leading by example in showing what senior roles SAS doctors can undertake.

Dr Georgina Forbes was elected as the new FSRH Wales Committee Chair in June 2023. 

As a member of Council, she looks forward to continuing supporting the work of the FSRH’s vision of high-quality sexual and reproductive health at every stage of our lives.

FSRH Full List of Current Council Members

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Officers

Janet Barter (President)
Zara Haider (Senior Vice President, Workforce Strategy)
Helen Munro (Vice President, Clinical Quality)
Maryam Nasri (Vice President, Membership )
Cindy Farmer (Vice President, General Training)
Charlotte Porter (Vice President, Specialty)

Elected Members Fellow/Member Representatives

Sinead Cook
Nikki Jeal
Marion Norbrook
Manisha Singh

Diplomate Representative Members

Emma Fall
Emily Simon
Sharon Porter

Lay Representative 

Maria Viner

RCOG Representative 

Ranee Thakar – RCOG President

Devolved Nations

Scotland - Interim, Sinead Cook
Wales - Dr Georgina Forbes
Northern Ireland - Eveane Cubitt

Co-Opted

Sophie Nicholls - SAS Lead
Ruth Bailey - Nurse member
Michael Mulholland – RCGP rep
James Woolgar – commissioner

FSRH Committees

View more information on FSRH's Committees and their work below

FSRH Council Committees

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FSRH has a number of management committees which manage various areas of the FSRH business plan and which support the setting and implementation of the annual strategic goals.

FSRH's Committees are as follows, click on each of the links to read more about each of the committees and the work that they do for FSRH:

Education Strategy Board

General Training Committee

Specialty Advisory Committee (SAC)

Assessments and Curriculum Committee

International Committee

Clinical Standards Committee

Clinical Effectiveness Committee

Exams Committee

Special Skills Module Group

Events Committee

Scotland Committee

Wales Committee

Northern Ireland Committee

The FSRH Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Group (The SRH Research Group)

SAS Committee

FSRH Trustee Committees

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There are two trustee committees.

Investment and Finance Committee

Appointments Committee

FSRH Staff

View more information on FSRH's Senior Leadership Team.

FSRH Senior Leadership Team

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Gary Waltham Chief Executive Officer

Gary Waltham
Chief Executive Officer

Gary joined the FSRH as Chief Executive in November 2021, having previously worked for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for six years. Gary provides overall leadership to the FSRH and is accountable to the Board of Trustees for the running of the organisation, including charitable and regulatory compliance, finances, operations, and strategic development.

Gary spent 15 years working in postgraduate medical and dental education, for the former London Deanery and then Health Education England. Through his career experience he has gained an in-depth understanding of medical colleges, medical education, and women’s health. Gary has a BSc in Sociology MSc in Human Resources.

Harry Walker FSRH

Harry Walker
Director of External Affairs

Harry is Director of External Affairs, and since joining FSRH in 2015 has been working alongside leading FSRH members to champion safe and effective sexual and reproductive healthcare across the life course for all.  With the FSRH Hatfield Vision as a cornerstone, the External Affairs team influences policy and practice through evidence-based advocacy as well as raising awareness of SRH among the public. Further, the team develops policy, builds partnerships in order to enhance influencing ability, and leads on external communications inclusive of media relations in order to promote the goals of the FSRH.

Harry is an advocacy and communications expert who has specialised in public health policy and the commissioning of vital public services. He joined the FSRH having worked in sexual health for the Family Planning Association and Brook as their Policy and Parliamentary Manager, and also lead the campaign to make Relationships & Sex Education a statutory subject, taught in all schools as the PSHE Association’s Parliamentary lead. Harry absolutely loves both travel and music, and has combined the two, performing in Australasia, Latin America and South East Asia.

Director of Education FSRH Jo Lawton

Dr Jo Lawton
Director of Education / Deputy CEO

Jo is responsible for the sustainable delivery of the FSRH education and training portfolio including supporting the E&T Team, Officers and other subject matter experts.

Jo has a background in science, education and business and uses these skills and experiences to progress the portfolio. In her previous academic career, she gained a PhD from the University of Liverpool and taught undergraduate and postgraduate students biology with an interest in health and welfare. Jo also has experience in research, science communication and technology transfer.

Tim Coppard Director of Finance and Operation

Tim Coppard
Director of Finance and Operation

Tim joined the Faculty in August 2019.

Tim is responsible for all elements of the finance service, management of the IT service as well as oversight of knowledge management, digital transformation and office management.

Tim is a qualified chartered accountant with a broad range of experience across a number of sectors most recently having held director of finance posts in three housing associations providing affordable homes mainly in London and the South East.

Gareth Groarke Director of Membership and Marketing

Gareth Groarke
Director of Membership and Marketing

Gareth joined the Faculty in 2022 and leads the Membership Engagement Team which is dedicated to improving the experience of our members, better meeting their needs and ensuring they can fully contribute to the sexual and reproductive healthcare community.

Gareth has previously worked for a range of membership organisations, including the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, the Royal Society of Arts and RNIB, as well working in central and local government agencies.