Leadership and Management Committee (LMC)

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Chair of the Leadership and Management Committee and Associate Registrar for Leadership and Management.

About me

I am a graduate of Nishtar Medical University and became a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2009. I started working as a consultant in the NHS in 2012. I am currently the elected Vice Chair of the RCPsych Trent Division and have represented that Division on the Leadership and Management Committee since 2017 before being appointed Associate Registrar for Leadership and Management on 1 April 2024 for 5 years.

Besides being a clinical and educational supervisor for trainees, I have been a CASC examiner in a lead examiner role. I have been supporting Non-Medical Prescribers and Advanced Clinical Practitioners in the complementary roles for a sustainable workforce strategy. I have significant medical management experience as Associate Medical Director/Medical Lead on clinical transformation of the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Chair of the Medical Senate. I have been an active member of the Medical Research and Development department, supervising MHRA approved national and international research trials as Principal Investigator. I have also been active with media and public engagement.

I was awarded an RCPsych Fellowship in 2020, the same year I was elected General Secretary of the British Pakistani Psychiatrists. I have been a passionate supporter of the NHS model of healthcare and firmly believe in empowering patients and carers. I have been actively involved in various initiatives with the aim of improving mental healthcare through implementation of Integrated Care Systems.

I am an advocate for enhancing medical leadership as a means to improve access to safe and effective healthcare for people when they need it. I am excited about taking up his new position and look forward to playing a role in materialising the vision of the Royal College of Psychiatrists team.

Dr Suhana Ahmed is a Consultant Psychiatrist – dual-trained (Old Age and General Adult). She is currently Clinical Director of Older Persons services at West London NHS Trust. She has been Director of Medical Education at South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust having completed her training there and working as an Old Age and Adult Consultant Psychiatrist.

Dr Ahmed is heavily involved with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and is currently Chair of the London Division, Deputy Chair of the Leadership and Management Committee and a member of the executive committee of the Old Age Faculty. She was also co-host of Mind Masters at International Congress in 2022.

She is interested in training, flexible working and supporting leadership and career progression in working parents. She has been a fellow with the award-winning organisation Leaders Plus, has contributed to their podcast series and now runs a mental health workshop for their programme. She is passionate about the impact of and stigma surrounding postnatal depression having talked at RCPsych international Congress in 2021 and had an article published about her experiences in The Independent.

Dr Sarah Markham is the patient representative on the Leadership and Management Committee.  She is a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London. She has worked with the College Centre for Quality Improvement  at RCPsych as a Patient Reviewer since 2012 and more recently with the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.

Sarah is currently engaged in Patient Safety Review work in various parts of the UK and has learned from this the very real need for operationally supported agile and adaptive medical leadership throughout mental health and related services. She is keen to support the work of the LMC and the wider RCPsych.

Hayley Tennant is the Leadership and Management Committee's carer representative, with lived experience of supporting close family with severe mental health disorders and psychosis.

She has over twenty-five years of leadership and management experience operating at PLC, third sector and SME board level. She is a qualified Chartered Fellow with the Institute of Personnel and Development, an executive coach, and Institute of Leadership and Management lead for leadership and management qualifications and, development programmes. She is an interim Chief People Officer – director of people and resources with a strong commercial background.

Dr Alex Till is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT and the Founder and Director of the RCPsych Leadership and Management Fellow Scheme.