People

HealthWatch patrons

Sir Michael Rawlins
	Sir Michael Rawlins has been chairman of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) since its formation in 1999. In March 2013 he will become the new president of the Royal Society of Medicine. A medical doctor who went on to research safety and efficacy of pharmacological treatments as a professor at the University of Newcastle, Sir Michael chaired the Committee on Safety of Medicines in the 1990s. Amongst his numerous awards and achievements, he was knighted in 1999 for services to the improvement of patient protection from the side effects of medicinal drugs. He recently told the Guardian, “All young healthcare professionals, irrespective of whether they eventually undertake research themselves, need to know how to understand what really constitutes ‘evidence’ if they are to practice their profession, to the highest standards, in an ever-changing world.” Declaration of interests
Prof Steve Jones
	Steve Jones is emeritus professor of Human Genetics, at the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London; and president of the Galton Institute. An accomplished communicator on evolution and genetics, he appears frequently on radio and television and is a regular columnist for the Daily Telegraph. His academic career is distinguished by his elegant and continuing experimental work on the ecological genetics of snails and fruit flies. Steve Jones is the author of successful and influential books on science for the lay reader, including The Language of the Genes and Darwin’s Ghost. Declaration of interests
Dr Margaret McCartney
	Margaret McCartney is a GP in Glasgow who writes a weekly column for the BMJ, broadcasts for Radio 4's Inside Health, and is the author of The Patient Paradox - why sexed up medicine is bad for your health, and Living with Dying, finding care and compassion at the end of life. She is also a tutor at the University of Glasgow and chair of the Royal College of GPs Overdiagnosis group — for shared decisions in healthcare. It's vitally important that we are honest about what we know and what we don't know in healthcare — and to try and reduce uncertainties where we can. We need to be equally critical of orthodox and alternative medicine — the standard of evidence should be the same, otherwise people are needlessly harmed. Declaration of interests My declaration of interest is on Who Pays this Doctor? and on my blog.
Robin Ince
	Robin Ince is a comedian, actor and writer, best known for co-presenting the award-winning BBC Radio 4 science/ comedy chat show “The Infinite Monkey Cage” with physicist Brian Cox. Dubbed an uber-geek for his rationalist and humanist views, he recently explained himself very sensibly in New Scientist: “I think it is a pity to live your life in ignorance and embrace that ignorance—for instance with ideas like intelligent design.” Ince organises highly rational events at the Bloomsbury Theatre and at the Hammersmith Apollo, such as the successful seasonal science, comedy and music show Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People. In his new one-man show he ponders the benefits of being self-conscious in a vast universe. Declaration of interests
Lord Dick Taverne
	Dick Taverne is a Liberal Democrat Member of the House of Lords. He was elected as Labour MP for Lincoln in 1962–1972 and was a Minister in the Home Office and Treasury between 1966 and1970. In 1973 he was re-elected as independent social democrat MP for Lincoln until 1974. In 1972 he launched the Institute for Fiscal Studies and was its first director, later chairman, until 1983. After appointment to the Lords in 1996, he founded the charity Sense About Science in 2002 and was its chairman until 2012. He is the author of The March of Unreason, Science, Democracy and the New Fundamentalism (2006) and Against the Tide — Politics and Beyond, a Memoir (2014). Why I support HealthWatch I strongly support HealthWatch because it is one of the leading voices exposing bad science and promoting the formidable and vital task of improving the public understanding of science. Declaration of interests No further interests to declare.

HealthWatch committee

For press and other enquires please contact us.

The elected members of the HealthWatch committee are also Trustees of the Charity. In addition there are committee members who are not Trustees, but who are co-opted for their specialist expertise.

President: Nick Ross
	Nick is a journalist and campaigner and was one of the founders of HealthWatch. He is a veteran broadcaster who launched British breakfast TV, Watchdog and Crimewatch and whose credits include many of the best-known news and current affairs programmes on radio and TV. He is a Trustee of Sense About Science and the UK Stem Cell Foundation, Chairman of the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at UCL, a non-executive director of one of the largest NHS acute hospital trusts, and a member of the Royal College of Physicians Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine and of the research steering group of the Royal College of Surgeons. He has twice been Chairman of the Royal Society Science Book Prize and been a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics as well as several government committees and inquiries including the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, the Health of the Nation Working Group and the NHS Taskforce. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and a visiting professor at UCL. Declaration of interests I do not believe there is anything that would affect my approach to HW; rather my commitment to the aims of HW is likely to colour my approach to the other tasks. But I suppose I should concede I have multiple interests that might be considered by others to affect the impartiality of my role in HealthWatch: Voluntary commitments to boards and advisory committees of several health-related and bioethics charities and not-for-profit organisations. Occasional paid work for, or involving, the Department of Health, NHS, health-related companies including the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. Broadcasting and journalism sometimes concerning health issues.
Chair: Professor Susan Bewley
	Susan Bewley is Professor (Emeritus) of Obstetrics & Women’s Health at King’s College London. She has always been devoted to the cause of rational, empathic and evidence-based medicine and the development of learning cultures. She was Honorary Clinical Director Obstetrics, NHS London (2010–2013) and consultant obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (1994–2011) where she was responsible for leading a highly regarded maternity unit and introducing innovative services, including perinatal mental health and domestic violence enquiry and advocacy. Her main research interests were severe maternal morbidity, domestic and sexual violence, and institutional abuse, with over 350 publications including seven books. She chaired the RCOG Ethics Committee 2004–2007 and NICE Guideline Development and Evidence Update Groups (2012–date), as well as performing independent reviews of NHS maternity services and being an expert advisor to Government. She worked part-time at the Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centre (2014–2018) variously as an out-of-hours Sexual Offenses Examiner, research lead and locum consultant lead. Declaration of interests Prof Bewley's declaration of interest can b e found here: Who pays this doctor?
Vice-chair: Dr James May
	James graduated from Sheffield Medical School in 1997, and is now a GP principal in Kennington. He has an MA in Bioethics from St Mary’s College in Twickenham, writing a dissertation on the mind-body problem in medicine, and he has a long-term interest in the history and philosophy of science. Declaration of interests I have no conflicts of interest. My income is entirely from work as a General Practitioner for the NHS.
Treasurer: Anne Raikes
	Anne is an Oxford maths graduate who qualified as a Chartered Accountant. She has since acquired fifteen years’ experience as a fund manager for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, specialising in asset allocation mainly for international corporate clients. In her spare time she is a keen choral singer who also enjoys skiing, tennis and walking. Declaration of interests I have no conflicts of interest. My income is entirely from work in fund management which has no connection with anything related to the health service.
Secretary: Professor David A Bender
	David is Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at University College London. His research has been mainly in the area of tryptophan, niacin and vitamin B6, and especially the role of vitamin B6 in steroid hormone action. His main activity prior to retirement was teaching, especially to medical students. More information at http://www.david-bender.co.uk Declaration of interests I was an employee of University College London, and now have my university and state pensions. I receive royalties on a number of academic text books I have written or part-written and give occasional lectures to organisations outside the University.
Newsletter Editor: Mandy Payne
	Mandy attends committee meetings, but is not a Trustee of the Charity Letters for publication are welcome — please contact the Editor. Declaration of interests I have been producing the HealthWatch Newsletter since 1995 and am paid for my professional services for this. Any additional work I do for HealthWatch is as a volunteer. Aside from HealthWatch UK, I am a freelance medical journalist and editor, and I work closely with Words & Science, Brussels providing editorial support and consultancy on good publications practice in medical research, for clients that include vaccines/pharma industry. I am an associate member of the Committee On Publication Ethics (COPE).
Dr John Illman
	Dr John Illman is a former editor of General Practioner. He spent five years as medical correspondent on the Daily Mail and eight years on The Guardian as health editor. The immediate past chair of the Medical Journalists Asssociation, he divides his time between writing, lecturing and media consultancy work. He is a visting lecturer in medical journalism at the University of Westminster and is writing a series of books on mental health. His former titles include The Body Machine with Christiaan Barnard. He has received several awards. Declaration of interests John Illman runs a commercial consultancy, John Illman Communications. Clients include pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, the NHS, charities and representative bodies such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is a PAYE employee of the University of Westminster and a freelance journalist, broadcaster and author. He was paid by the Research Defence Society (now known as Understanding Animal Research) to write the book: Animal Research in Medicine (2008 100 years of Politics, Protest and Progress: The Story of the Research Defence Society.
Keith Isaacson
	Keith is a Senior Consultant Orthodontist. He joined HealthWatch shortly after its formation and has been on the committee for many years. He is currently Vice Chairman of the committee. Professionally he was formerly Chairman of Examiners for Orthodontics for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and formerly Chairman of the Medical Writers Group of the Society of Authors. Life Member of the British Orthodontic Society. He has lectured extensively worldwide and co-authored four text books, which has been translated into 15 different languages. He is lead editor of the British Orthodontic Societies' Guidelines on Radiography. Declaration of interests Keith Isaacson receives payment for NHS consulting at the Great Western Hospital Swindon. He receives private income from consultation in Ireland. He is published by Reed Elsevier. He does not receive income from any commercial company. He does not own shares in any Pharmaceutical or medical equipment company.
Les Rose
	Les is a freelance consultant clinical scientist, now mostly retired, and worked for over 35 years in managing clinical trials, training and advising clinical researchers, and evaluating results of trials. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Clinical Research, and a Life Fellow of the Society of Biology. He serves on the editorial boards of The Biologist, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Medicine (FACT), and the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. Les has a blog at majikthyse.wordpress.com, and tweets as @majikthyse. Declaration of interests I am a freelance clinical science consultant, and have pharmaceutical and other biomedical companies among my clients. I do not receive any material benefits for my voluntary work in support of evidence based medicine.
Membership Secretary: Alan Henness
	Alan designed, created and maintains the HealthWatch website. Alan is Director of the Nightingale Collaboration, which challenges misleading healthcare claims and was initially setup with funding from Dr Simon Singh. Declaration of interests None declared.
Professor John Kirwan
	John trained in Rheumatology at The Royal London Hospital, where he also undertook his MD thesis working on appropriate outcome assessment techniques in rheumatoid arthritis. After moving to Bristol University he coordinated the clinical trial team that first showed unequivocally that glucocorticoids (often called “steroids”) are able to hold back the progress of rheumatoid arthritis. He was Head of the Academic Rheumatology Unit in Bristol from 1995 to 2014, and a prominent member of OMERACT, the international organisation standardising clinical trials in rheumatology. At OMERACT and in Bristol he pioneered collaboration with patients as partners in the whole research process. John has also been instrumental in developing and testing new approaches to long term patient management, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. Working in close collaboration with GP and nursing colleagues his unit developed and won national awards for their NICE-compliant care pathway for newly diagnosed patients and their 'direct access’ system for managing established disease. Declaration of interests None declared.
Roger Fisken
	Roger read medicine at Oxford, where he also undertook a PhD in neuroanatomy. He trained in clinical medicine in Birmingham, then received specialist training in Birmingham, London (St Bartholomew's Hospital) and Liverpool before becoming a consultant physician in North Yorkshire, specialising in diabetes and endocrinology. He retired in 2010. Roger's endocrine research focussed on hypercalcaemia and hyperparathyroidism. During his working life he was a referee for several medical journals, including The Lancet and Diabetic Medicine. He has been a member of HealthWatch UK for twenty years and has, on several occasions, acted as an assessor for the student prize competition. Declaration of interests None declared.
Andrew Fulton
	Andrew graduated from Queen Mary University in 2017 and currently works at the Eastman Dental Hospital as a Paediatric Dentist. He won the HealthWatch Student competition in 2015 and has been involved in HealthWatch since as a committee member and trustee. He is currently pursuing training with the aim of specialising in Paediatric Dentistry. Declaration of interests I have no conflicts of interest. My income is entirely from work as a dentist for the NHS.
Philippa Pigache
	Philippa has been a journalist and author for more than 50 years. She has contributed (staff or freelance) to The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Independent Television News, the Mirror, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, The Observer and World Medicine. Since the 1990s she has specialised in health and medical science, contributing to The Lancet, Pharmaceutical Visions, Hospital Post Europe and Hospital Imaging & Radiology Europe. She has also authored a number of consumer health books and published short stories and a novel. From 2002 to 2016 she was honorary secretary of the Medical Journalists’ Association and editor of the journal, MJA News. Declaration of interests TBA
Coopted committee members
Tom Moberly
	Tom is a medical journalist. He is currently editor of BMJ Careers, and has previously worked as clinical news editor at GP magazine, science reporter at Scrip World Pharmaceutical News, and as a news and feature writer at the Pharmaceutical Journal. Declaration of interests As editor of BMJ Careers, I am an employee of the British Medical Association. I am a member of the National Union of Journalists.
Jolene Galbraith
	Jolene is junior doctor representative. Declaration of interests None declared.
Sofia Hart
	Sofia is a student representative. Declaration of interests None declared.