Governance

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.

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 (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. 

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.

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

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.

Dr Tony Thamia (Externally Appointed Trustee)

Tony is an ex- Headteacher who has worked for over 15 years in state and private education in North and West London and as such has a good understanding of compliance and the need for clarity.  He has a strong scientific background having studied pharmacology at university and worked for a number of years in scientific administration at the MRC, as well as within pharmaceutical sales prior to going into education. Tony has worked in some very diverse communities and thus brings to the Board of Trustees an understanding of the communities that our professionals serve.  He has experience of working on local authority panels (Schools Appeals Panels) and working with young adults in the community (sports and youth group). He is passionate about giving people the right training, skills and knowledge to ensure they can carry out their tasks to the best of their abilities. This means ensuring that our professionals can offer their expertise to the community as a whole.

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.

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.

Ms Toni Belfield (Externally appointed Trustee)

Toni is a specialist in sexual and reproductive health information (SRH). She has worked in the charitable sector for over 40 years, working with medical and health organisations, policy makers, industry and commercial organisations to improve consumer information, clinical guidance and standards for professionals working in SRH.

Toni was Director of Information for the FPA (Family Planning Association) for many years and was instrumental in developing the FPA information services providing confidential, objective and evidence-guided information to all. She is the author of a number of publications and has presented at national and international conferences and symposia. She has good communication and media skills. Toni has held a number of Non-Executive positions over the years and is also a trained Fertility Awareness teacher. Toni has worked with the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare since its inception providing consumer input and perspective and is an Honorary Fellow of the FSRH.

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 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.

President of FSRH (Member Trustee)

Dr Janet Barter

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.

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. 

Vice President: Clinical Quality

Dr Helen Munro 

Helen is a Consultant and Clinical Lead in Community Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare within Hywel Dda University Health Board, SW Wales. She is FSRH Vice President (Quality) and 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 a integrated contraception and sexual health clinic. This is where she found her niche and pursued the CESR route to becoming a Consultant in Community Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare completing in 2017.

Since moving to Wales she has learnt to swim, completed her first open water triathlon and first mountain marathon. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 (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 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.

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 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 (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 (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)

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.