RCPsych Equity Champions

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Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

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I am a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and also a member of the LGBT+ community. 

I believe that it is of vital importance and core to the role of psychiatrists to consider how our own blind spots and at times unintentional lack of awareness can impact on the experience of colleagues and patients from minority groups, as well as to understand how we can improve that experience.

I have been inspired by the President's decision to make equity and equality central priorities for College, and wanted to bring my lived experience as a minority group as well as my willingness and ability to speak to these issues through other privileges that I have, in order to improve the experience for others. I also am excited for the opportunity that this provides to develop my own understanding of broader experiences of inequity and inequality.

I look forward to working with the Presidential Leads and the Forensic Faculty Committee during Dr Smith's presidency.

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I work as a locum Consultant Psychiatrist with GP integrated mental health care services at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

As an Asian female doctor and international medical graduate who arrived from India 30 years ago and faced several barriers to career progression that being in a minority group can present, I am aware of the biases faced by doctors with protected characteristics.

The discrimination faced by patients from minority groups in our healthcare systems also highlights the need to raise awareness of such issues and address health disparities.

Working as an Equity champion with the College gives me the opportunity to contribute to and influence the policies that can make a positive difference to our patients, carers and staff.

I am also a published poet, I write in 2 different languages and aim to promote equality, diversity and inclusion through my poetry.

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I am a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist with a focus on preventative mental health. I am also involved in cognitive analytic therapy.

I am intrigued and inspired by the changes we can make to improve the health of individuals and communities. I have delivered sessions on implementing preventative mental health care practice within a clinical career. I have also facilitated multiple sessions on navigating the impact of discrimination on healthcare. These and others are areas where we can explore, understand and implement changes - to lead to more equitable care, treatment and prevention within healthcare.

I am passionate about excellence, inclusion and representation; but also, about a sincere, honest look at areas where we can do better.

Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

Inclusion, justice, and fairness for all is an area of special interest close to my heart and something I deeply care about. Born and brought up in Kashmir and working as a Muslim female Consultant Psychiatrist from a minoritised ethnic background in UK has been an enriching experience that I am very proud of. 

As an equity champion, I wish to use my voice, experience, and expertise to challenge inequality, promote diversity and ensure fairer access and better outcomes for all patients irrespective of their background, ethnicity, and social status. I see myself as a strong advocate for my patients, my colleagues, and carers in particular in old age services.

Dr Mano Manoharan is Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust; and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurosciences (IoPPN) at Kings College London.

Dr Manoharan currently works as a CASC Examiner and College Assessor; and joint Academic Secretary for the Faculty of Perinatal Psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

She has a strong research focus and has been principal investigator for various research projects including “Melodies for Mums” groundbreaking research (randomised control trial) in trialling group singing interventions for mothers with postnatal depression. Dr Manoharan was also awarded a SheInspires award in 2019.

Outside medicine Dr Manoharan loves running (competed in the 2019 London Marathon), spending time with family and tweeting.

I am a Consultant Psychiatrist currently working in a hospital which provides rehabilitation for patients with complex mental health disorders. I worked in forensic rehabilitation psychiatry as a consultant for three years prior to my current role.

I have a longstanding and active interest in striving towards, promoting and supporting diversity and equality. Meeting the healthcare needs of a diverse population of patients is an essential aspect of delivering excellent and inclusive patient care.  In addition, ensuring a positive, fair and inclusive culture and environment within the work place is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of staff.

Being a female clinician of Nigerian and Norwegian heritage has enabled me to gain a personal and unique insight the concept of intersectionality and the importance of this approach to addressing inequality. I am looking forward to bringing my passion and to my role as Equity Champion for the Royal College of Psychiatrists representing the Rehabilitation and Social Faculty.

I am a consultant rehabilitation psychiatrist in Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. I have run support groups for carers of people with serious mental illness for many years.

My research study of carers’ experiences showed that they often feel unsupported and shut out by services. This increases carer burden, worsens patient outcomes and prevents co-production. Minority ethnic families are under-represented in carers’ groups, and may be particularly excluded by services.

As equity champion, I am determined to improve how mental health teams engage, support and listen to carers, from all communities. This is essential to tackle the ethnic inequalities in mental health care. 

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I am a consultant in old age psychiatry in Perth. I am neurodivergent and bipolar, so have first hand experience of the stigma and discrimination that can make life in the NHS incredibly challenging.

I have also experienced great kindness as a result of sharing my experiences and this has shown me how much better life can be when we treat each other with compassion and respect.

I firmly believe that we should all go to work with the same right to be here, to be ourselves, to be comfortable and to have opportunities for success.

My particular interest is in improving inclusion and respect for diversity within psychiatry; we must 'get our own house in order' if we hope to challenge the inequalities faced by our patients.

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I have championed to work for the trust equality network to promote equality, diversity and inclusion for staff and patients to foster a culture of inclusivity and respect for all. 

I am grateful and humbled for my appointment as Equity Champion for Eastern Division.

I pledge to work closely with Presidential Leads for equity, equality and colleagues to promote diversity and reduce inequality through networks and organisations.

I am passionate to work for the fairness for all within College policy to deliver, promote and influence the mental health agenda and will uphold College’s core values for Psychiatrists. 

I am a Dual Higher Trainee (general adult and old age psychiatry) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). Aiming to work in sync with the latest development in artificial intelligence, which would allow me to leap further in my day-to-day clinical practice, research and ultimately changing the landscape of mental health services.

As Equity Champion, I am envisioning mental health services integrated with the physical health services, right from the infrastructure. That would make a base for us to plunge comfortably from early intervention to primary prevention at public health level in future!

I am passionate about becoming an equity champion due to my personal journey in experiencing and understanding social inequalities. I was initially unaware of the depth of discrimination faced by many, but my experience as a trainee representative in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) opened my eyes to the urgent need for advocacy.

I have been motivated by the stories of those affected and I am committed to amplifying their voices and creating a more inclusive environment. As an Equity Champion, I aim to drive meaningful change, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive and be treated with dignity and respect.

I am a postgraduate doctor in training (ST6) in child and adolescent psychiatry with NSHE (Workforce, Training and Education) Yorkshire and Humber and the current Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Co-Lead for the Trainee Executive Forum with the deanery.

I have an avid interest in promoting inclusion and diversity within the workforce and reducing the awarding gap in medical training. I have contributed towards this in my educational roles within the Association of Black Psychiatrists in the UK and as a 2023-2024 Future Leaders’ fellow on Differential Attainment.

As an RCPsych Equity Champion, I hope to be able to contribute further to ensuring EDI in a more joined-up and sustainable way.

Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

Please contact yasmin.townsend@rcpsych.ac.uk to find out more information.

Currently awaiting information for this section.

Currently awaiting information for this section.

I’m Erin, a CT3 in the West Midlands and Equity Champion for the Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee. I feel strongly our places of work could be more fair, and to that end have been involved in leading a project looking at doctors’ and supervisors’ experiences of completing breastfeeding risk assessments.

We have used this data to improve wider understanding of a parent’s rights and improve the experience of doctors returning from parental leave. I am excited for this opportunity, and feel this network will improve our ability as a college to share ideas and make psychiatry as a whole more equitable.